Conquering the Past
by BeneathAWesternSky
Summary: Lex Murphy, granddaughter of John Hammond, who built Jurassic Park over 20 years ago, is returning to Isla Nublar. Work obligations bring Lex back to Jurassic World, and the site of her childhood trauma that has haunted her for years. There she meets Owen Grady, who helps her come to terms with that trauma, and helps break down the barriers she's put up for so long.
1. Chapter 1

**Conquering the Past**

Chapter 1

Lex Murphy was on her third cup of coffee by noon, as she found that caffeine was just about the only way to get her through her harder pieces of work. She was finishing the last few sentences on an article about an inmate in Florida who was being released from a death sentence after the police department that arrested him for murder had finally processed the DNA samples present at the crime scene. All DNA samples led to another man—another man that was still in prison for another crime, but luckily for the other guy, he was released from prison.

This kind of piece was never easy for Lex. In the back of her mind she held a particular disdain for experimental science since that horrible few days some twenty years ago. She understood the benefit in science—clearing the name of an innocent man in this case—but she could never understand wanting to play god, as she saw it.

She loved her grandfather, it was true. He'd given her a wonderful childhood, where her parents' turbulent and ultimately unsuccessful marriage had failed. But he was the ultimate dreamer. In his dreamings, he had become involved with InGen, a company that had brought dinosaurs back from the dead, and he had hoped to make them a theme park attraction. Where InGen hoped to create a profit, John Hammond had hoped to create a park that would stay in the hearts of children across the world. By then he had already made his fortune. What he tried to create with Jurassic Park was a legacy.

Lex pressed the save button on her expensive computer, and sent it to her editor. Once Lex heard the "whoosh" sound that confirmed her message was on its way, she relaxed into her chair, wrapping her hands around her Columbia University mug. Idly she sat drinking her coffee, and staring at the framed photograph of her, her grandfather, and her brother Tim all in their Christmas sweaters many years ago. She smiled sadly.

Suddenly, she was brought out of her trance by one of her editors knocking on her open door frame.

"Hey kid, just got your article, looks great," he said, in a rather dismissive tone. Lex knew he wasn't here for any old prison article. He scratched his scruffy ginger beard, and looked down at the floor before looking up at her. "I've got an assignment for you."

"Yeah?" Lex sipped on the now lukewarm coffee.

"Yeah, and you're not gonna like it."

Lex felt ice fill her stomach. The last time Richard, her editor these past eight years, said anything like that about an assignment, it had been about the opening of Jurassic World. She waited for him to finish.

"They've got this… guy, down at Jurassic World. They say they're doing some kind of behavioral research, something government related. Anyway, my buddy Joe got this guy Hoskins pretty sauced up at a party a few months back, and he let something slip. So I want you on it."

Lex felt panicked. The very idea of stepping foot on Isla Nublar ever again would often send her into cold sweats. She had been in therapy for most of her adult life to treat the PTSD she'd experienced ever since her few days there. This, of course, her editor had no idea of. All he knew was that whenever any subjects like InGen, her grandfather John Hammond, or Jurassic World were brought up in a professional sense, she shut down. She'd refused all previous interviews about her experience. She'd refused to cover any of it.

"Rich, you know what my answer's going to be," her voice quaked a bit. She hoped he hadn't noticed.

"I had hoped to change your mind."

"Well, you know money isn't going to work on me," Lex said. Rich chuckled—he knew that when her grandfather had passed away, she was left so well-off that she really didn't even have to work another day in her life. She took the job at the New York Times because journalism was her passion.

"What about a promotion?" Richard became serious. Lex's eyes lit up, but darkened when she realized what kind of hell she'd be reliving by even getting on a plane to go back there. "Assistant editor. You've been here eight years, and you've worked your ass off."

Lex was quiet a moment. "And all I have to do is write an article about some behavioral experts?" Richard bit his lip.

"And a personal piece. I want it all, Lex, I want the full story, from your eyes. I've gone easy on you for these past eight years. Fact is, readership is down. Young people today, they don't want to read about death row inmates and tax fraud. They want scary, they want sexy, they want conspiracies. And you were in the middle of one when you were just a kid."

"Rich, I've never had any interest in profiting or drawing attention to myself for this," Lex's heart was racing.

"I know. But Lex, it's this, or it's being a journalistic grunt for another eight years while someone else gets promoted. Just think about it, ok? But I need to know Monday." At that, Rich left Lex's doorway empty.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Lex picked at a hangnail on her thumb as she shifted uncomfortably in her therapist's chair. She'd been seeing the same man for her entire adult life. Dr. Silverman had cut his patients in half several years earlier, but agreed to keep Lex on until his retirement, based on her special circumstances, and their hard earned doctor patient relationship.

"Normally, Lex," Dr. Silverman started, "I wouldn't advise you to do something so… drastic. Other patients with PTSD can react well to desensitization therapy. Veterans going to fireworks shows, things like that. But Lex, I think it's been long enough, and I think the park's track record has shown that nothing like that will ever happen again. I think it's time you put this in your past for good."

Lex looked up at him for reassurance. "You really think?"

"I do. And if it's as you say, there's a significant promotion in it for you, that means you'll be off fieldwork for good. And I know that you're a highly sensitive person, and your work affects you more than it should."

After more reassuring from Dr. Silverman, Lex walked the fifteen city blocks back to her Upper East Side apartment. Normally, she would have taken the subway, but a good walk in the crisp fall air felt like the right thing to do. It was in that walk that Lex Murphy decided that she would indeed return to Isla Nublar, twenty years after she nearly lost her life there.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Owen Grady held his hand up in front of his four young raptors. Young though they may have been, they were easily already a foot taller than he was. At his feet were a bucket of dead rats; four to be exact. He used his clicker to signal that they each were about to get a treat for following their commands.

He called each raptor's name out to it, and tossed it a rat. As soon as each raptor had gobbled their rat, Owen used his clicker and directed the raptor's away. As soon as they were out of sight, he signaled to have the double entry gate door opened. It opened, and he waited for it to close before someone else opened the other door at the end of the paddock. Every safety measure was followed with the raptors.

He wiped the sweat from his brow with a red handkerchief that he had kept in his back pocket. There he stowed it once he was finished. He heard clapping coming from nearby. Once he found the source, he gritted his teeth and fought back the urge to lash out.

"I don't see how you can deny it," Hoskins said, his arms draped lazily over some railing, his foot propped up. Even the way he stood by the paddock bothered Owen.

"Deny what?" Owen said, making his way towards the hut that the workers used as their sort of break area.

"That I'm right, and you're wrong. That these animals are meant for combat, and you know it."

Owen reached the travel cooler, Hoskins trailing behind him, and grabbed a glass coke bottle from the ice water. He opened it with his bare, rough hands, and tossed the cap into the trash. "In what world would a person ever want to admit they're wrong? That makes no sense." Owen sighed and drank from the bottle. "In any case, I'm never going to agree with you, Hoskins, so you might as well stop trying. But you already know that." Owen looked at Hoskins suspiciously.

"You're not here just to rub it in my face, are you?"

Hoskins smiled his snake-like grin, and put his hands defiantly on his hips. "The company wants to draw investors. They're ready to go public with their ideas of using raptors in the military. We need you to play nice with a reporter who's coming here for the raptors."

Owen laughed, and sighed to himself. "Don't you guys have PR people for that?"

"Yes, and she's meeting with them too. But I want her to meet with their handler. I need you to impress her."

"What, and you don't think my winning personality is going to impress her?"

The smile on Hoskins' face left. "The company expects you to do your job, talk to the nice lady, and not fuck things up for us. This will go a hell of a lot more smoothly with you on board."

"I can't lie to anyone, Hoskins, you know that. I'll never put these girls in danger's way. They're not cannon fodder."

"I'm not expecting you to lie. Just… Try not to be so opinionated. Just tell her what you do. Tell her about their behavior. And fine, if she asks your opinion, decline to comment. But you _will_ talk to her."

Owen shook his head, and nearly slammed his coke down on the wooden counter of the open hut. "Fine." Owen had had just about enough Hoskins for one day, so he nearly shoved past him in an effort to get anywhere but there.

"Oh, and Grady," Hoskins yelled out to Owen. Owen stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn around. "This reporter? She's John Hammond's grandkid. So show a little respect. Maybe even be a little nice."

Owen's fists clenched. He turned on his heels, and shot Hoskins a look of incredulity. "Lex Murphy. You're bringing Lex Murphy here? You know, I knew you were stupid, but I didn't know you were willfully stupid."

"Hey!" Hoskins barked. "Remember who's the one who signs your paychecks. Yes, Lex Murphy is going to be here. Tomorrow. So get comfortable with the idea."

"I don't know what having someone who was almost killed by raptors talk to me would be good for. I understand these animals, Hoskins, and they're not machines that you can control. So I can't spin anything in this woman's eyes that will convince her they're cuddly teddy bears."

"Be that at is it may. I'm not asking you to change this woman's opinion on anything. Just state the facts. Then you can get back to your job."

Owen shook his head, and turned his back on Hoskins, walking away. He yelled back at Hoskins "Have it your way."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Lex Murphy sat in the first class cabin of the plane bound for San Jose. She'd taken a low dose of Xanax about an hour before, and was winding down from the crying fit she'd had in the bathroom at La Guardia Airport. She had the good sense to lock herself in a stall at the far end of the bathroom, so she was able to avoid the looks that came along with having an episode in public.

Panic attacks were never easy for Lex. Her hands went numb. She got tunnel vision. She sometimes got so lightheaded she would pass out. It was hard for her to breathe. It was always best to be alone when these kinds of moments happened. All she could do was breathe, and wait for her emergency medication to kick in.

She found that she needed the Xanax less and less over the years, but being booked on a flight that eventually led her back to Isla Nublar was enough to seemingly undo years of therapy. Once she felt halfway under control, she left the stall, washed her face, and boarded her plane.

She was able to sleep after the plane took off for San Jose, but her dreams were filled with the terrible shadows of the past. In her dreams she was pinned under a glass windowpane. She was crawling on a kitchen floor. She was dangling from the back of Alan Grant. She woke about an hour before she landed in San Jose, and steeled herself for touchdown.

Hours later, she was aboard the ferry from San Jose to Isla Nublar. On the ferry she saw the same look that she had years ago when she learned that she was going to be seeing real life dinosaurs—awe and excitement. She couldn't help but smile to herself at that thought, and at their jubilation so obvious in their expressions.

She couldn't help but recall how beautiful Isla Nublar had actually been. The crisp blue waters reminded her of that fact. In the distance she could see the island growing larger and larger with each moment they drew closer. She mindlessly toyed with the long, blonde, French braided lock of hair that was at the base of her neck, and waited for each passenger to disembark before collecting her modestly sized duffel bag.

She walked down a long sidewalk, looking for a sign with her name on it. She'd been told by the park's manager that someone would be waiting for her. There she found a tall man with black hair, holding a sign that said "L. Murphy". She stopped before the man, who was wearing what Lex assumed was a park uniform, and said hello.

"I'm Lex Murphy," Lex said with a sigh. The man reached out to grab her bag.

"I'm to take you to Miss Dearing," he said, rather unceremoniously. Lex let him take her bag, and up to the gates of Jurassic World they walked. Lex felt awkward in her own skin. She somehow felt a sense of entitlement, if only she was entitled to a realization that she would never wish on anyone else. She felt entitled to the knowledge that all of this was wrong. She wanted to stop each person and shake some sense into them.

But still, as she entered the great hall, all she could see were the excited faces of children, and the contented faces of parents. She shook her head.

Lex was led to an elevator, and in they went. The ride was silent. Eventually she was led to a corridor of offices, and in the distance she could see what she assumed was the control room. Lex remembered how her hands shook as she accessed Jurassic Park's Unix system, and brought the park's system of computers back online.

The unnamed park worker held his hand out to a grouping of lounge chairs. "You're to wait here. Miss Dearing will meet you. I will take your bag to your room, and it will be waiting for you. Here is your key." The man handed her the card key, with her room number printed on the back, and she put it in her pocket. Lex then spent a moment turning off her personal attachment switch, and switching on her professional journalist one. She pulled out a small legal pad that was bound in a nice leather binder. For as technologically savvy as Lex was, she preferred the pen and paper method of dictating during interviews. So there, in the professional, behind-the-scenes waiting area, Lex nervously clicked her pen and waited for Claire Dearing.

 **Author's note: I know I'm publishing at a very fast rate, but when you're inspired you're inspired! I would really love to hear some reviews, thoughts, etc. Any kind of reenforcement that I should keep going! Thanks!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Claire Dearing stood perfectly straight in her five inch Chanel heels, holding her folder to herself as she nervously waited to greet Lex Murphy. Claire went over the greeting she was going to give the granddaughter of the man who championed the idea behind Jurassic Park. If it weren't for John Hammond, Claire wouldn't be there. None of them would be.

She straightened her asymmetrical red bob that didn't need straightening. Not a hair on her head was ever out of place, and she wanted it to stay that way. She put her hand back down just in time before the door of the elevator opened. About fifteen feet in the distance, she could see a petite blonde woman sitting by herself, twirling a pen in her hand.

Claire's heels clopped loudly on the tile floor, and she stopped a few feet in front of Lex. Lex's eyes went up to meet Claire's. She gave a weak smile, and stood. Claire outstretched her hand, and Lex took it. Lex could pick up on how nervous Claire was. People got like that around her sometimes, when they knew who she was.

"Miss Murphy, I want to thank you for coming, and want to say what an honor it is to meet you. Your grandfather was such a visionary, and if not for his vision, none of this would be possible."

Lex cleared her throat. "Yes, well… I'm here."

Claire filled the silence, "Yes, and Mr. Masrani and I are happy to welcome you here. If there is anything I can do to make your stay and your work any more comfortable or easy, please let me know."

Lex mused to herself that what would make her more comfortable would be the first helicopter off the island. But she had to make it through the next few days, go back to New York, and start her new life as an assistant editor of the New York Times.

"I'm sure you all have everything taken care of. I just want to do these interviews so I can go." She grimaced at the uncomfortable look on Claire's face. She felt a little bad for being so brash. She followed up with, "I would eventually like to go to whatever room you have me in… All in due time I guess."

Claire shook her head. "Oh yes, of course, I will bring you to your suite very soon. I would first like to show you the business side of the park, starting with the control room. Claire extended her arm, and motioned for the room down the hallway, toward the room Lex rightly had assumed was the heart of the park.

As they entered the room, none of the people behind the computers paid any mind. Not until Claire began to speak. "This… is command central. At all times we are able to monitor the safety of the park, communicate with asset handlers, park attendants, and monitor patron traffic. All of the park's security can be controlled right from this very room."

Lex quickly jotted on her small legal pad, turning over a page once she had filled the first. "Asset?" Lex repeated, confused.

"All animals in the park are assets of the company," Claire said, and she mused to herself that she wished she didn't have to explain that so often.

Lex pressed her lips together in a thin line. She tried to remain optimistic as she listened to Claire explain the workings of the system.

"What happens in the event of a power outage?" Lex asked, painfully aware of what a park like Jurassic World would look like should its power source fail. "Do the confines remain closed in the event of a power outage?"

A bespectacled man caught this end of the conversation, and turned around. Lex could see that he was wearing a vintage Jurassic Park tee shirt. She swallowed at the sight of it.

"Ma'am," the man spoke tentatively, looking at Claire, "if I may," he waited for Claire. She nodded.

"The—the park is run on our own generators. In the unlikely event of a power failure, we have backup generators, which will provide enough power for the entire park for twenty-four hours. More if we isolate the power to a smaller portion of the park. And no, the confines will not be compromised without power. The structures still remain, but the only difference is our electrified fences will be de-electrified if we withhold power."

"I see."

"Miss Murphy, this is Lowrey Cruthers, one of our technicians. Mr. Cruthers, you could have chosen a different shirt, I assume?"

Lowrey looked down at his shirt. "I got it on Ebay. It was half the price of a mint condition shirt, but I still just think it's a cool nod to the original spirit of the park."

Lex smiled tartly. "Mr. Cruthers, I think wearing a shirt from my grandfather's failed park, in which many people died, might be a little distasteful. Regardless of my presence."

Lowrey gulped. "G—grandfather?" A vacant expression turned to one of pained realization as he remembered that today was the day that Lex Murphy was supposed to be arriving at the park.

"I think I've got enough from the control room," Lex said, turning on Claire and the technician.

She waited outside the control room, and took a few deep breaths.

"Nice," Claire said, chastising Lowrey. "Don't wear it again." She left a shocked Lowrey in her wake as she caught up with Lex.

"Miss Murphy, I am so sorry, he's…" Claire began. "He's one of our more interesting characters. Had I know he would… I am so sorry."

Lex gave a small smile, generously, and said "don't worry about it. I got what I needed anyway."

"Excellent," Claire said, knowing that Lex had had enough reintroduction for one day. "I think now would be a great time to get you to your suite."

Lex thanked Claire, and followed her to a monorail that towered above many of the rolling, emerald colored hills of Isla Nublar. The buildings kept getting sparser and sparser. They reached a portion of land where there were staggered buildings, like houses.

"I'm not in one of the resorts?" Lex asked nervously.

"No, I figured it would be nice to put you in one of our executive bungalows. You get to see more of the island, and it's a little less touristy."

Lex was more than a little perturbed. "Miss Dearing, I've seen plenty of this island." Claire kept walking herself into these situations. She was trying her best to provide the best the park had to offer, but she had no idea how Lex Murphy would take it. She'd met Dr. Malcolm once before, and he wasn't nearly as sensitive about things as Lex seemed to be.

Lex was too tired to protest, so she simply shook her head. "I'm sure it's fine."

Once the two of them disembarked the monorail, they both boarded a golf cart driven by a park worker, and arrived moments later at the bungalow at the end of the row. It overlooked the jungle. Any other place on Earth, and Lex might have truly enjoyed it. But deep in the pit of her stomach she felt that it was too open. Too exposed. It was part of the reason she loved New York City so much. It was everything Isla Nublar wasn't.

As soon as Lex reached the door, she used the electronic key to open the door. She thought it was weird that this far out here, so close to the edge of the jungle, they couldn't just simply use a regular key lock. Once she was inside, she was surprised by how lavish the bungalow was. "Seems a bit excessive for a 'bungalow' Miss Dearing."

"Spared no expense," Claire chimed in behind Lex. Lex turned and gave Claire another look, but said nothing. Claire produced a packet and handed it to Lex. "This is your itinerary for tomorrow. We will start at eight in the morning. I will have someone bring you to the facility. If you would like dinner, there is a small restaurant at the end of the bungalows, about a five minute walk from here. If you provide your name, everything has been comped by Mr. Masrani."

Lex thanked Claire politely, and closed her door, locking it instinctively behind her. She walked around the bungalow, and found that her bag was at the end of the very large bed. Quickly, she stripped her clothes off and went straight for the bathroom and drew herself a hot shower.

It was in the shower that she realized how tired she really was, and just how hard the past hour had been on her. Unable to continue standing, Lex slumped down to the bottom of the shower, and sat under the running, hot water. She clutched her knees to her chest, and let herself cry.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

After a few moments in the shower, Lex calmed down enough to do what she was there to do—wash off the "travel" feeling. She hated traveling for this very reason. She always felt more dirty after a day traveling than a day doing any kind of errand or chore in the city.

Toweling off her hair, she wiped away the condensation from the mirror, and saw that her eyes weren't puffy like she thought they would be. She sighed, and wrapped her towel around herself, and picked up her phone. She pushed a button on the touch screen that was one particular number on speed dial. She heard the ring coming from the earpiece and set it against her face. Waiting for someone to pick up, she began fussing with the end of the incredibly soft and plush white bath towel.

"Hello?" there was a voice on the other end.

"Tell me again why I'm doing this?" Lex asked, not bothering with pleasantries.

A sigh came from the other end, "Because the park is completely safe. And it's your job. And you need to conquer your fears. I did. Grandpa didn't think these animals were monsters."

"But you're the paleontologist here, Tim, of course you don't think they're monsters." Her brother Tim had internalized the experience completely differently. He had kept his passion for fossils alive, and gone on to be just like his idol, Alan Grant. He was currently a researcher at the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale, specializing of course in paleontology. He was a well-respected mind of his time. He paled, of course, in comparison to Dr. Grant, but still he had made significant contributions.

"Be that as it may, Lex," Tim continued. "Twenty-thousand people come to Jurassic World every day, and there haven't been any incidents with the animals. So I hear it's normally just people getting heat stroke. So get your ass out of your hotel room, because I know you've probably padlocked yourself inside, and go out. Walk around. Thousands of other people are, and they're fine."

"Okay…" Lex ended her phone conversation with her little brother Tim, and dressed herself reluctantly in khaki shorts, slide-on boat shoes, and a chambray shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. She braided her mostly-dry hair back into another French braid, and gathered her messenger bag that held her MacBook Pro.

She opened her door, and instantly felt the different between her air conditioned bungalow, and the humid, Central American air. She heard tropical birds in the line of trees in the distance, and thought maybe it wasn't as bad as she thought. She walked the five minutes to the "restaurant" down the trail, and found that it was a rather modest little building with a straw roof, and panoramic open windows. It was a very beachy bar feeling. Still, she entered, and sat at the first open booth she saw.

Right as she sat down, and was extracting her laptop, a waiter came and asked her what she would like to drink.

Lex paused for a moment. "Ah… you don't do _caipirinhas_ do you?" Lex was never sure in places that primarily spoke Spanish. The Brazilian drink was not very easy to get in some places. The waiter nodded, and disappeared. Lex assumed that meant yes.

Lex began booting up her computer, and extracted her legal pad with her few pages of notes. She opened up a word doc file, and put her glasses on. As she began typing, she hadn't noticed she'd drawn the attention of a man sitting several tables away.

He was sitting with a few other men of differing skin complexions. His was by far the lightest, even given his Costa Rican tan that he'd acquired over a year. He was spinning the bottle of beer he was drinking, on the table, and was chuckling to himself as he watched the blonde woman near the bar type away on her laptop.

Some people, he just couldn't understand. Here she was, in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and she couldn't even drag herself away from her computer. He watched in amusement as her drink was brought to her, and she began chewing on the cut sugar cane that had been placed in the drink, and began to take a few sips after putting the cane back in the drink.

"See, look at this woman," Owen said to his friends, low enough that she couldn't hear. "She's in this beautiful place, and she can't even appreciate it. She's probably left her family in their hotel room, and she isn't even with them."

His friend Barry spoke up in his heavy accent, "It's true, man, but what can you do?" He had meant this as a rhetorical question.

"I could ask her." Owen said, dryly, and with some humor. He caught Barry's gaze. His alcohol intake had steadily gotten to the point where he was feeling a bit more bold than usual, which was saying something for Owen Grady.

" _Mon dieu_ , don't man…" Barry pleaded, albeit with a smile. "Leave the poor tourist lady to her Facebook."

Owen considered it a moment. "Nah." At that, he scraped his chair back, grabbed his beer, and approached the blonde woman.

He stood at the end of the table, and he was just able to make out that she wasn't on Facebook. She was actually intently typing away on a white screen.

"You know, I often ask myself what people see in those things," he said, pulling out a chair opposite the woman on the computer. As he sat, Lex looked up, over her horn rimmed glasses at the scruffy man in the faded white button down tee and blue pants. She stopped typing.

"Employment." Lex paused. She assessed the admittedly handsome man sitting opposite her. "Can I help you?"

Owen shrugged. "Oh no, I just thought you looked like you could use a little company, a little distraction."

"Oh, and why's that?" Lex drank from her glass that was now sweating condensation.

"Because I see people come in here all the time. This place is supposed to be a distraction. A break."

Lex licked her lips lightly as she set the drink down. "Not for me. I'm here for work."

Owen's brows furrowed, as the pieces started to fall into place. "You a new hire?"

Lex chuckled to herself, pressing the "save" button, knowing instantly she would get no work done. After her work was saved, she closed the lid on her laptop. "Nope," Lex said, and cocked her head to the side. "But I _am_ here for work."

Owen's green eyes darkened at the possible realization of who he was sitting across from. "Yeah, and what kind of work is that?"

"I'm a journalist." Lex said, drinking her cocktail faster than she normally would have. It was nearly empty.

"I see." Owen knew exactly who she was. "We've had plenty of those here, but everyone already knows everything there is to know about the park. What are _you_ writing about?"

Lex was deciding whether or not she should be annoyed that someone had interrupted her flow of writing, but looking at this man she felt a pull behind her navel. How long had it been for her…? She shook her head and placed such base desires aside. She would humor him for a bit longer, she supposed.

"My boss wasn't too explicit. I think I'm supposed to come here and figure things out for myself. But he said something about a behavioral study. This real stoic lady gave me an itinerary for my interviews tomorrow; I couldn't bring myself to read through it."

Owen laughed, and Lex couldn't help but notice the way his eyes lit up when he laughed. "I see you've met the Ice Queen."

Lex smiled. "The Ice Queen, huh?"

"Yeah, well, we've got worse names for her, but I've only just met you…"

"Come on, let's hear it then. Don't spare me."

"Frosty the Snow Bitch." Lex laughed out loud for the first time since she learned she would have to return to Isla Nublar.

"Yeah, I think that about sums up what I've seen of her." Lex said. "I hope she doesn't know you call her that."

Owen finished his beer in one more gulp. "Nah, she probably knows but wears it like a badge of honor, to tell you the truth."

"So you _do_ work here," Lex concluded.

Owen nodded to Lex, and waved to get the attention of the waiter. "I do. Me and my friends over there." Owen cocked his head towards the group of men who were trying not to watch them so intently.

"So, what do you do here?" Lex asked, watching as the waiter anticipated their need for new drinks, and another beer and another _caipirinha_ were brought to them.

Owen swallowed, considering whether or not he would tell Lex exactly who he was. He decided against it, hoping their conversation wouldn't be tainted by her knowing she was going to be interviewing him the following day. "I work with the animals."

Lex shook her head and stirred her drink before taking the first sip. "Animals. Assets. No one around here seems to really favor the word 'dinosaur' anymore."

Owen considered Lex for a moment. "I think that 'dinosaur' evokes the thought of something long dead. Yes, we use that term too, but just on the handler side of things, I think we prefer to use 'animal'. It carries with it a certain level of respect. I can't, however, speak to calling the animals 'assets'. That's Claire's thing."

Lex got further into her drink, and began to feel the effect of the _cachaça._ "So which _animal_ do you work with?"

Owen deliberated. Why didn't he want to tell her he worked with the raptors?

"One of the predators." He alluded, but gave away nothing more. "Never a dull moment."

"I bet," Lex said. Owen turned and looked out one of the open windows, silently appreciating the setting sun and the singing of the tropical birds. She took the chance to stare at her unnamed drinking partner, taking in just how attractive he really was. She thought she ought not to stare, but the alcohol was giving her other ideas. Just then, from amidst the songs of the birds, a trumpeting cry carried over the hills. Lex had heard it before, but still when she heard it, she gripped her drink a little harder, and placed her other hand in her lap, bringing her arm in closer instinctively, and for comfort. She took a sharp breath.

Owen turned when he heard Lex's small intake of breath. "That'll be the brachiosauruses. They like to sing at sundown," he explained, trying not to give away that he knew the sound made her start.

"I remember," Lex said quietly, into her drink.

Owen kept up the charade. Why, he still didn't know. "So you've been here before?"

"Ah," Lex said. "Yes, once. When I was younger."

"Younger? The park has only been open for about ten years."

"Yeah," Lex sighed with a touch of reluctance. "I was here before that. My uh, my grandfather was John Hammond."

"So you're…" Owen continued.

"Lex Murphy," Lex said, searching Owen's face for what his reaction would be.

Owen smiled, and extended his hand. "Lex, I'm Owen Grady." She took his rough hand in her soft, petite hand. His seemed to dwarf hers. For a moment, Lex felt a flit of excitement run through her as they made contact.

When she took her hand back, they enjoyed a moment of silence together, enjoying the night air and their drinks. "How is it?"

Lex was roused from her thoughts. "How is what?"

"Being back here."

Lex sighed, and stirred her drink some more. "Oh, you know, terrifying," she chuckled. She added, "No, I think… think since it was my grandfather's dying wish that this place be built, I think… I think it would make him proud that I'm trying."

"He was a special person." Owen provided, not really knowing what to say at this point.

"That he was." Lex agreed. She didn't wish to attack her grandfather's folly in cloning dinosaurs. That was over, and done.

After their momentary silence, Owen declared that that was enough serious talk for one night, and he was going to make it his mission to get Lex to laugh tonight. And after finishing off another drink, Owen had accomplished his goal. The two were swapping stories about days in college, days in the Navy. They had ordered some small finger foods to tide them over, so they weren't just drinking their dinner. By the end of the night, neither had noticed that the restaurant had all but cleared out, save for his own friends and a few solo drinkers at the bar, sipping on piña coladas.

"See, I just can't see that about you," Owen said, after Lex had explained some of the antics she got up to in college.

"You can't?"

"No! You're wrapped up in this cute, sweet package," it slipped out of Owen's mouth before he had a chance to reel it back in.

Lex flushed pink. "Well, Mr. Grady I think you can be cute and sweet and still get written up by your RA in college for having a boy in your dorm after hours."

"You can?"

"Yeah," Lex said, face fully flushed, "contrary to popular belief, batting your eyes does _not_ get you everything."

"Could have fooled me. Scandalous…"

"Ah yes, my mother was quite horrified over that one. 'Think of how this reflects on the family' she'd say. She got over it in about a month…"

There was a lull in conversation, during which time Lex looked around to find the restaurant nearly empty, and the night sky almost completely black.

"Man, is it already that late?" Lex said.

"It appears so. I imagine Frosty's got you started pretty early tomorrow."

"Yes, I think my first meeting is at eight in the morning." They both got up to leave, and Lex slung her messenger bag around her body, and went to the bar to put her drinks, Owen's drinks, and his friend's drinks on her tab. If Simon Masrani was paying, she was damn well going to milk it for all it was worth.

As she was looking at the door, she didn't notice that Owen's park buddies were all holding up signs indicating that he should "go for it." He waved their signs off, and turned on Lex.

"Let me walk you to where you're going. See that you get in safely."

Lex smiled in relief, "Oh, would you? I don't think I could bear to make the walk alone, to tell you the truth. Still pretty scared of this place."

They walked the five minutes to her bungalow, and stopped just outside her door. "You know…" Owen started. "I think that if you give it a chance, give the animals a chance, you might feel differently about this place."

Lex looked up at Owen, who towered over her. They were standing so close she felt that she either needed to back up, or close the distance between them. It was a little too much like hanging in the balance. She wasn't sure what to do with herself. How do you say goodbye to a stranger you just met in a resort bar?

"Maybe." Lex searched for more to say. "I hope your walk back to… wherever… isn't too long."

Owen waved it off. "Oh no, I actually live pretty close to here. Not exactly this level of comfort, but it's my own."

"I see," Lex said, blushing. "Well, thanks for the company. I guess I needed it more than I thought."

"It was my pleasure, Lex." They were at a stalemate. Lex rested her blue eyes on Owen's lips. She thought briefly about wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him into her little bungalow, but she was frozen. Before she had a chance to decide, Owen closed the gap, and laid a kiss on Lex's cheek. He was feeling a little bolder, but not bold enough.

"Goodnight. I hope I'll see you again before you leave." And with that, he watched as Lex entered her bungalow, and closed the door. He walked the fifteen minutes it took to get back to his own place, and thought excitedly about how he would indeed get to see Lex Murphy again. He just wasn't sure how she would react when she found out he was the behavioral researcher in charge of the velociraptors, the very creatures that had tried to kill her over twenty years before. He was sure his opinion of the raptors was very different from hers. He worried that their rapport established that evening would fall to pieces once she knew what his job really entailed. Sure he couldn't find a way to explain things, he admitted defeat, and went to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Lex Murphy awoke the following day, miraculously, free of a hangover, but slightly groggy. She'd set her alarm for six thirty in the morning, and had gotten ready very quickly. She was pleased to find that they had stocked the basic necessities in the refrigerator for her, like yogurt and fruit. She made her coffee, ate a small breakfast, and thought about the night before.

She wasn't sure she would see the handsome Owen Grady again, even though she wished she would deep down. She thought if there was at least one thing she liked about the island, Owen was it. She accepted the reality that it was a momentary meeting, and nothing more, and got into journalist mode, getting her legal pad back out.

A PR man in a suite came to get Lex promptly at eight, and took her by monorail to a place in the park she had not been before. She could see that it was not open to the public, and the security measures were greater. The monorail stopped, and when she got off, she was greeted by a portly man with salt and pepper hair and a goatee. He introduced himself as Vic Hoskins, shaking her hand brusquely.

"Now, Miss Murphy, I'm not sure how much you know about us here at the InGen Security Division," he paused for Lex to fill him in.

"Well, Mr. Hoskins, to be honest, I know next to nothing about why I am here. I know that there is some kind of behavioral program going on here. That's about it."

"Ah, well, then a clean slate is perfect. Walk with me." As Vic Hoskins walked, he talked to Lex who was one step behind him. He led her around a paddock that was walled up in concrete.

"Now, most of the animal attractions at the park are herbivorous. Some are omnivorous, with an exception of a few carnivores, mainly the T-Rex. Given what you personally experienced, it should be no surprise to you that the velociraptors are not a part of the tourist attractions here at Jurassic World."

Lex was quiet. She had hoped, prayed that while she was here at Jurassic World, she would not have to come into contact with either the raptors, or the tyrannosaurus. She waited for Hoskins to continue.

"The security division of InGen has been working with a behavioral specialist, in order to study the velociraptor. To assess its intelligence, and its ability to take direction."

"Mr. Hoskins, I should think it's abundantly clear that the velociraptors are highly intelligent. They solve problems at an alarming rate… But take direction? I'm not so sure you can reason with something that's base desire is to eat you."

Hoskins turned, and wagged his finger in the air. "Ah, but that's what we thought. We had hoped that we were wrong, and our work here has proven that we might have been wrong all along."

"And what, exactly, is it that you've been doing here?"

"The heart of the matter." He smiled, and there was something in it that Lex didn't like. "We have raised four raptor babies from infancy. We wanted to study whether or not raptors would imprint on humans. Whether or not they could be trained. Take directions. Our behavioral specialist did exactly that. He raised them from infancy, was the one upon whom they imprinted, and he's succeeded in giving them commands. That they follow."

Lex's mouth was suddenly very dry. "To what end? Why do any of this?"

Hoskins reached a control panel before answering her. "Well, I'd like for you to actually see what we've accomplished before I get to that."

"See?" Lex's fight or flight mechanism kicked in immediately. "Mr. Hoskins, I'm not sure I feel comfortable with this."

Hoskins pressed a large green button, and the metal gate in front of them opened. "I assure you, Miss Murphy, you'll be behind the bars during the entire demonstration."

"Demonstration?" She reluctantly followed Hoskins through the gate, and found that there were people crowding around a cage made of incredibly thick, metal bars. Many were on levels looking down into a paddock. She could see that there was a catwalk across the entirety of the paddock, with several directions.

Hoskins didn't answer her, but let the gate close behind them. She saw a man in tan pants and a blue shirt atop the paddock on the catwalk. She could hear a series of slamming noises, and a high pitched squeal. She watched in silent terror as she saw a pig race from one end of the paddock into another. The pig thankfully made it through the gate to safety (although Lex was sure it would end up as lunch for someone), but trailing behind it came four almost full grown raptors. Lex could feel her knees weaken at the sight of them.

Her breath caught in her chest as she was paralyzed with fear, even though she was safely behind bars. She was able to make out clicking noises coming from the catwalk, and then she heard a familiar voice.

"Okay, eyes on me, guys. Charlie, cool it!" Suddenly, the man turned around, directing the raptors to follow him on the catwalk, and revealed his face to Lex. Owen was leading the raptors down the catwalk, and they were taking his instruction. When they had finished their task, they were each thrown a rat. Lex wanted nothing more than to get out of there, so she began slowly inching backwards. Tripping on a rock, and losing her balance, Lex found herself flat on her butt. One of the raptors, a striking blue color, heard this, and suddenly four sets of eyes were on Lex through the bars.

"Hey! Eyes on me!" Owen used his clicker, but the raptors' gaze was fixed.

Frozen, Lex heard the sound that haunted her dreams for years. A high pitched screeching sound came from one in the back, and suddenly it lunged at the bars, which were only about four feet from Lex. It was of course stopped, but the raptor clutched at the bars, and snarled at the person whose scent they'd never picked up before.

This pushed Lex over the edge, and she let out a small cry. Helping herself up, she ran towards the outer gate from which she'd entered. She slammed the green button over and over again, screaming, "let me out goddamnit!" It opened at a glacial pace, and once there was enough room for her to fit through, she squeezed out and stumbled away from the confine.

Lex could feel a panic attack coming on. Her breath was unsteady, and she was having a hard time breathing. Tears formed in her eyes, and she was losing her balance, her hands on her knees trying to steady herself. She wasn't even aware that someone had run up behind her. Owen put his strong hands on each of her arms, and held her steady. Lex was startled, and let out a small cry.

Owen rounded on Lex, and put his hands back on her arms, now facing her.

"Lex?" Owen said. "Lex, you're ok. I have you."

Lex steadied herself by grabbing onto the front of Owen's utility vest. "I can't do this," Lex repeated to herself, unaware of the tears that had started to fall.

"Yes you can," Owen kept reassuring her. He pulled her to himself, enveloping her in his arms. He could feel how she was shaking, and it pained him that she was this scared of his raptors. He'd only seen the one side of them. She the other.

Eventually she stopped shaking, and just let him hold her. When she was completely past the panic attack, she pushed against his hard chest, breaking his hold on her.

Still upset, Lex began to chastise Owen "Did it not occur to you at any point last night… to tell me that you were the behavioral specialist in charge of velociraptors?"

"I didn't feel like it was right to say anything." Owen said, knowing that his answer was unsatisfactory.

"Why?" Lex demanded.

"Because I was curious," Owen admitted. "I was curious about you. Am I wrong in thinking maybe our conversation might have gone a little differently if you knew what I did here at the park?"

Lex blinked, having no response. He wasn't wrong. She left the question unanswered. "I think I know why no one was specific when they said 'behavioral study' now," Lex admitted dryly.

"I'm not going to force you to come back in, but I hope you'll come back so I can explain to you just how safe you are. And for you to see how everything is under control."

"Oh yes, because I'm sure the paddock full of calm workers don't think I'm some hysterical woman now…" Lex said, suddenly mortified by her reaction.

"Lex," Owen said, looking her in the eyes. "Everyone in there knows exactly who you are. No one will judge you for the reaction you had."

 _Assistant editor, assistant editor_ … Lex thought in her mind. She gritted her teeth, and followed Owen back into the paddock. There she saw Vic Hoskins, hands up at about chest height. "Miss Murphy, I'm terribly sorry you were frightened. Are you feeling alright?"

Lex ignored the question. "Mr. Hoskins, you were going to tell me the reason you are training these raptors. And I'd like the answer."

"Weapons, Miss Murphy," Hoskins added confidently. "We're going to use them as military weapons."


	8. Chapter 8

Lex felt nauseous. Vic Hoskins' revelation was just about the worst idea she'd ever heard, even compared to having a theme park full of actual dinosaurs. Lex wondered why her editor sent her here in the first place. There was no way that she would ever write a positive article espousing the benefits of velociraptors in the military.

"Mr. Hoskins," Lex began. "Weapons? What makes you think that any of this is a good idea?"

Vic Hoskins looked around to see workers listening, but not listening, and decided that they were too exposed for him to continue the conversation there. He looked over to a small building and held his arm up. "Let's continue our conversation in here, where we can take a seat."

Lex eyed him critically, but still followed, wanting to hear his logic. Owen Grady did not follow. He knew enough to know that the conversation they were about to have was not for his ears. Once they were inside the small building, she saw a conference table, and several computer monitors along the wall. She sat at the head of the table, and Vic Hoskins behind her. Lex could just make out Owen through the window. She saw that he was talking with the raptors through the bars, attempting to calm them.

Vic picked up the conversation. "Raptors could decrease the loss of life in the military. We wouln't be putting our troops at risk. Drones can be hacked. Men can be bribed, broken in interrogation. And when all of this technology goes dark, those raptors are going to be our only advantage."

Lex couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her ears burned just listening to him. "And what happens if those raptors get hungry?"

"You know, you're the second person who's said something like that…"

Lex shook her head. "What am I doing here, Mr. Hoskins? You know, my editor knows… I'm the last person who'll write an article endorsing this as a good idea."

"Actually, your editor and I were thinking that you were the perfect person to endorse this as a good idea," Hoskins added with a touch of irony.

Lex looked out the window and made eye contact with Owen. He had been looking back occasionally, making sure she was alright. She redirected her attention to Hoskins, whom Lex now decided was a viper in a person-suit.

"How am I perfect for this?"

"With the granddaughter of John Hammond, who was present during the incident at Jurassic Park, endorsing our endeavors? What better way to garner favor with the public?"

"Mr. Hoskins, I have ethics. I don't write what I don't believe in. I will not lie. My editor knows this, so I don't understand…"

Hoskins scrunched up his eyebrows. "Well, you see, Rich has assured me you would play along. He says you're a driven young woman, and you're to be moved up the ladder at the Times."

"I don't believe this," Lex said, shaking her head, and standing abruptly, sending her chair rolling backwards quickly. She backed away from Hoskins. Owen watched as Lex was becoming agitated. He made his way towards the small building.

"I'm sorry Mr. Hoskins, but you've got the wrong journalist." Lex opened the door forcefully, and stormed out of the raptor enclosure, with Owen close at her heels. Hoskins came out of the door, and said to Owen, "You so much as say one thing to discourage her from writing the article, and you're fired."

Owen strode past Hoskins, and yelled out over his shoulder, "go to hell, Hoskins."

Owen caught up with Lex just as she reached the monorail, and was able to slip into the car before the door closed. He stood in the moving car, watching as Lex paced back and forth.

"What did he say to you?" Owen approached Lex, and grabbed her gently by the arm to get her to face him.

Lex laughed, and looked up, fighting back the urge to cry out of anger. "Oh… He thinks if I write an article endorsing his insane idea, the public will love it too." Lex held Owen's gaze. "I'm a pawn, Owen…"

Soon, they had reached the stop for the row of upscale bungalows, and got off, making a beeline for her own, intent on grabbing her bags and getting off the island. Owen followed. Lex looked behind her, and saw that Owen was still hot on her heels.

"Why are you following me, Owen?"

"You don't exactly look like you should be left alone, Lex. And I'm sorry, you can't get rid of me so easily."

"Suit yourself."

Lex reached her bungalow, and let herself in. She didn't bother to hold the door open for Owen, but he helped himself inside anyway.

"Are you here to convince me to write the article?" She started to repack her belongings.

"I— " Owen couldn't quite find the words to express what it was he was trying to do. "Lex, I'm in the same position as you. Lex, please stop packing for a minute, and listen to me."

Owen grabbed Lex's hand, and led her to the bed. She patiently sat down, and shot him a look that said "speak quickly". He sat next to her, knees facing her.

"I got the same ultimatum from Hoskins," Owen began, Lex's hand still in his. "I raised those raptors. I respect them. Hoskins doesn't. He thinks they're things you can own and control. He wants to turn them into guinea pigs. I'm sorry, but I can't let him do that to my animals."

"Those things are killing machines, Owen. If given the opportunity, they will tear you apart."

"Lex, I… I don't believe that. I mean, yes, I do, but if socialized properly, you can foster a relationship between man and raptor. I don't believe they can be used militarily, but I understand them. In a way."

"I can't write this article." Lex's eyes pleaded with Owen's.

"I'm not saying you should. But I had to follow you. Lex, if I don't look like I'm going to try to convince you, I could lose my job, and I could lose control of the raptors. They're safer with me around than they are without me. I can't leave them."

Lex felt Owen's thumb brush her palm. "I don't know if I can help you, Owen. If I can get off this island, I will."

"I don't think you're going to be able to, Lex." Owen looked out the window. Lex's eyes followed.

Lex hadn't noticed it in the chaos that had started when she entered the raptor enclosure, but the sky had been steadily darkening the whole day. Lex could see the trees outside were blowing in the wind. It was more than a light breeze, to say the least.

"Fuck!" Lex stared out the window a moment, and defeatedly laid back on the plush, white bed, legs dangling off the end. She drew her hands up to her face and covered it. Owen followed suit, laying beside her on his back, and folded his hands on his stomach.

"Tell me about it."


	9. Chapter 9

She couldn't bring herself to sit, or do anything but pace around her room, as she waited for her editor to pick up the phone. Lex held the phone to her ear, and stared out the window at the darkened sky, not wanting to let it out of her sight, as if by watching it, she ensured that it wouldn't get any worse.

The ring tone stopped, and she heard Richard's voice on the other end. "How's it going down there, Lex?" Rich's voice was too jovial for her liking. It made her feel like vomiting.

"You could have mentioned that I was coming here to endorse a whack job and his idea for military strategy. You could have _mentioned_ that I'd be face to face with fucking velociraptors, _Rich_!"

"Calm down, Lex," Richard said on the other end, with a chuckle. "No one's asking you to endorse anything."

"Aren't you though?"

"Lex, you're a journalist. All I'm asking you to do, is _do journalism_. You have to separate your personal feelings form the piece. Write the facts, Lex. No one is asking you to say that raptors are anything that they're not. Write what you see."

"Do you know what an unbiased article and the Easter bunny have in common? _Neither of them fucking exist!_ "

"Watch it. Lex, I sent you there to do a job. If you refuse, you'll be cleaning out your desk when you get back."

Lex stopped in her tracks. She looked back at Owen, who was leaning against the doorframe, his hands in his pockets, and his eyes fixed on the floor. Owen looked up when he didn't hear Lex speak for some time. She held his gaze.

"I see," she said flatly.

"Finish the interviews. Wait before you make your final judgment. Don't throw away eight years at the Times so easily, Lex. The Times needs this article. We can't afford to let a paper like Huffington or Washington pick this up before we do. And god forbid a television network picks up on it. We've been given a golden opportunity, Lex. Writing this article, it… it may mean nothing, and the military might strike it down anyway. But—"

"—this is what I signed up for when I became a journalist, I know."

Richard concluded the conversation. "Do the interviews. Come home. Write the article or don't. but do the interviews." The phone went silent, and the call was ended.

"How bad is it?" Owen asked, crossing his arms, still leaning against the doorframe.

Lex paused. "I have to do the interviews and write the article or I lose my job," she said plainly.

"What are you gonna do, Lex?" Owen asked, feeling selfish for wanting her to do her job if only it meant he didn't himself get fired. On the other hand, if she _did_ write the article, what could it mean for the raptors? What was to be their fate?

"It just doesn't make sense," Lex sat at the foot of her bed, curling her leg and sitting on one of her feet.

"How?" Owen approached the bed, and sat down on it again. He suddenly realized how awkward this might have been if it weren't for the gravity of the situation at hand.

"My editor, he's… He's never _made_ me write an article before. If there was anything I ever turned down he'd just give it to someone else."

"And what do you think that means?"

"He has a vested interest in the article being published. He might be getting a kick-back. I can't be sure of it… but the way Hoskins talked to me…" Lex traced her fingers along her bottom lip, looking at Owen. "To answer your question… I don't know what I'm going to do."

"You know my stake in this."

"If I write this 'neutral' article, it appeases Hoskins. My boss as well," Lex started. "It also may open the door for the military to agree to start testing with the raptors. If I don't write it at all, we both lose our jobs, and you can't stop whatever scheme he has planned."

"You're damned if you do," Owen said, leaving the sentence hanging in the air.

"Can I possibly do this in a way that accomplishes the first task, but gets people to disapprove of it? I can't send my editor an article blatantly trying to sabotage their efforts."

"I dunno, Lex."

Lex sighed, and began absentmindedly spinning the amber ring on her pointer finger. Her grandfather had given it to her the year he died. She had worn it every day since then. "I don't know what's right."

Owen tentatively reached out his hand, and took one of Lex's. "Lex, if I don't stay with these animals, they'll fall into the wrong hands."

Lex felt Owen's thumb again brush against her palm. Her heart jumped at the intimate gesture. "I know," she said. "I'll do what I can."

Lex's other hand unconsciously found its way back to her bottom lip. She spoke so quietly she wasn't sure he heard her. "I'm actually glad you didn't tell me what you did here at the park… last night…"

Owen gave a half smile. "Why?"

"Because otherwise, I'd probably have no problem telling my editor to go fuck himself. You just _had_ to be so charming…" She blushed, saying it in a joking tone, trying (poorly) to hide the truth behind it.

"Weren't you telling me last night that batting your eyes doesn't get you what you want?" Owen asked.

Lex laughed, and nodded. "I guess I was wrong, yeah…"

Just as Owen was deliberating on whether or not he should close the distance between the two of them, the corded phone in the main living area began to ring. The moment was lost, and Lex reluctantly pulled her hand from Owen's as she walked back into the living room. She pressed the speaker button on the phone, and answered.

"Hello?"

"Miss Murphy, I'm glad I caught you," it was Claire Dearing's voice on the other end. "I heard about the incident at the raptor paddock. I would come and apologize in person, but the park has issued a no-travel warning. They're going to alert guests soon. I hope that you'll stay, and we can continue our round of interviews once the tropical storm has passed through."

"Miss Dearing, you needn't worry. I was just caught off guard is all."

"Wonderful, Miss Murphy." Lex could hear the relief in Claire's voice, and felt some kind of odd sympathy for the woman who was just trying to do her job. "Well, as you'll find out soon enough, the park is shutting down all attractions for the next 24 hours, and all transportation between attractions, and to the mainland, will cease. Should the storm prove worse than we are being told, we will move all guests to safe places. For the time being, if you stay where you are, you'll be perfectly safe."

"Wonderful," Lex added, in a falsely positive tone.

"I will be in contact after the storm is through, and we can recommence our itinerary."

"Thanks." Lex couldn't stand to be on the phone any longer, and pressed the speaker button again, ending their conversation.

Lex stood in the living room, staring out the bay window that overlooked the rolling hills. Rain began to fall, and made ticking sounds on the windows. Lex tried not to let her mind wander to years past, but she couldn't help it. She felt like she was in that Ford Explorer all over again. Waiting for something to happen. She was jolted from her trance as Owen touched her elbow.

"Lex, I've got to go before the storm really hits. I've got to take care of something back at my place."

"Oh," Lex said, bewildered, "ok, yeah. I'll be fine here."

On Owen's face was a rather mischievous grin, being passed off as completely innocent. "You could always tag along. I hate to leave you in this place, alone during a tropical storm."

Lex smiled reluctantly. "Yeah, I guess that would probably be better. I don't want to be an imposition—"

"You're not imposing," Owen corrected. He nodded his head towards the door. "We better run if we're going to make it there before the rain _really_ hits."

And at that, they both set off for Owen's own bungalow, running through the rain.


	10. Chapter 10

Owen and Lex raced through the rain that was steadily worsening. Lex had initially thought they'd be able to get out of the rain relatively dry, but she was proved wrong. By the time they reached a row of trees, they had become soaked. Lex's hair was drenched, with strings of it stuck to her face. She felt quite literally like she'd just stepped into the shower fully clothed.

After they passed the few trees blocking the clearing to Owen's place, Lex could just make out a place, nothing more than an Airstream travel trailer that backed right up into a small, wooden bungalow that was little more than a shack. Owen darted ahead of Lex once he knew she could see where they were headed..

Lex watched in amazement as Owen reached a motorcycle, and grabbing it by its handlebars, led it to an even smaller utility shed just behind the wooden structure of his bungalow. She followed behind him, and her mouth dropped as he stored the motorcycle in the shed and closed the door. After his task was accomplished, Owen ran past Lex, grabbing her hand and pulling her with him. He pulled her into the trailer portion of his bungalow, and closed the door behind them.

"You had us run through the rain…" Lex said, wiping the rain from her eyes. "For a motorcycle?"

Owen turned on Lex and gave her a boyish, but sarcastic look. "It's a Triumph Scrambler! With a custom paint job! I couldn't leave my baby out in the rain."

Lex grumbled, wiping still more water from her face. "Men. If it's not toys, it's women."

Owen had turned his back on Lex, and produced a bath towel that was frayed around the edges. "Sometimes it's both," he added, with a glint in his eye.

"Thank you," Lex said, for the towel. She began toweling off her face, her arms, her hair, which she pulled out of her French braid so it could dry. "I. Am soaked." She chuckled.

"Oh, yeah…" Owen looked Lex up and down. "Hang on a sec." For a moment he headed toward the back of the trailer, when Lex noticed that he'd engineered the trailer to lead directly into the wooden bungalow structure. He disappeared up a small flight of three or four steps.

Lex turned and looked at the structure. It was like any travel trailer, but had quite a few more modifications on it. He'd removed the area where the bed would have been, and added a few lounging chairs. There was a nice setup in the galley of the trailer. Overall, Lex was impressed. Owen reappeared, with a stack in his hands.

"Here," he said, looking self-conscious as he held out something for her. Lex took it and found that it was a button down plaid flannel shirt. It would dwarf her, for sure. "Something dry." He paused. "You don't have to… I just figured you'd want to let your shirt dry."

Lex's heart quickened. "Thanks, I'll just, uh…" She unfolded the shirt and paused to look at Owen. The hint finally resonated through his brain.

"Yeah, I'll just be… up there for a minute. Let me know when I can come back down."

Lex watched him ascend back up into what she assumed was where he slept. She stood there, frozen, unsure if she should change into the shirt he so graciously offered her. Instantly, a "fuck it" type attitude overcame her as she felt that her damp clothes were steadily becoming colder in the drier air. She peeled off her knit tee shirt, and assessed the damage on her bra. It was far too wet to leave on, but a sense of modesty was suddenly making her second guess her choices.

Lex had stripped off her shirt and bra, and slipped into Owen's very comfortable plaid flannel shirt. Lex noted to herself that it even smelled like him. She thought it was a little pathetic that she found it so intoxicating. She just hadn't worn another man's clothes for so long. It made her feel safe, somehow.

She finally noticed that the shirt was long enough that it covered enough of her butt to allow her to strip off the now cold and wet khaki shorts she'd been wearing. She kicked off the boat shoes she was wearing, and the shorts after. She took each item and hung them over the sink.

"Ya decent?" she heard Owen from his lofted bungalow.

"Uh huh," Lex sat nervously at his galley table, which was a circular shaped booth with a circular shaped table. She slid one third of the way in, and tucked a leg under her butt. Owen reappeared, pulling a shirt down over his chest. Lex closed her eyes tightly as she saw more of Owen than she'd seen before. She willed herself to open them, and Owen stood in front of her in cargo shorts and a white knit tee-shirt. He stood there, looking from her bare legs to the clothes draped over the sink, and said nothing.

He reached the refrigerator, and opened it. Owen pulled out two water bottles, and set them down on the table in front of Lex, sliding into the booth next to Lex. Lex took the opportunity to fill the silence by opening her water bottle, and taking a few sips from it.

"So," Lex ventured to break the silence. "How long do you think this is going to go on?" Lex ventured that it was already well into the afternoon.

"It's hard to say, I haven't checked the weather report. But I'd say well into the night."

 _Into the night?_ Lex thought. She shook her head, feeling the need to apologize. "Had I known this might last into the night, I'd have just stayed back where they have me. I really hate to be an inconvenience."

"You're not an inconvenience," Owen reassured her, again taking her free hand in his. "If it were an inconvenience, I wouldn't have brought you back here." He kept looking at Lex's hand, which held the amber ring. "In any case, I didn't want to leave you alone during a tropical storm."

"Thanks," Lex said. Owen's fingers interlaced with Lex's. This made her stomach do somersaults. "Owen, you… you haven't really told me what you meant when you said you were curious about me. Why are you doing any of this for me?"

"It's not my normal, M.O. that's for sure." Owen admitted, taking a deeper than usual breath.

"So tell me," Lex looked Owen in the eye until he finally made contact with hers.

"It's just when I learned you were coming here, I knew it wasn't the best idea. Your brother, Tim, he spoke out about what happened here in '93. So I knew it wasn't going to be easy for you. And…"

Lex squeezed Owen' hand.

"Years ago. When your grandfather died. I'm not much older than you, but when he died, you were still a teenager. I remember watching the news—they couldn't seem to leave you alone—and I remember the video from his memorial service. And I just always remembered how sad you were."

"It's been a long time since '97, Owen," Lex said. With a pained heart she remember how much she cried at the service, and how she could barely get through the few words she had prepared for her grandfather before she broke down again.

"I know," Owen said. "They play that footage occasionally when they talk about the park in the news. And like I said I was curious about you the night we met. I just wanted to get a feel for who you were. And I could just tell how scared you were."

Lex let that sink in for a moment. "You're a sucker for a lost cause," she said, sadness in her eyes.

"I don't think you're a lost cause." Owen said. He reached up with his free hand, and gently grabbed a few strands of Lex's almost dry, but now wavy, blonde hair. "I just understand things that others don't."

"What do you understand, Owen?" Lex asked, not wanting to break the flow of things, but still not understanding.

"I understand the raptors." Lex's jaw clenched unconsciously. "I also understand what post traumatic stress is like." Lex searched Owen's face.

"I did a couple tours in Afghanistan," he said.

"I thought you were in the Navy?" Lex asked, confused. She bravely took Owen's hand that was gently tousling her hair, and took it in her other free one.

"I was a corpsman. Corpsmen are the medics for the Marines." Owen pulled one of Lex's hands to his lips and kissed the back of it gently.

"So I understand what it can be like," he said, taking his hand from hers, and running the back of his fingers down the length of her jawbone. "Other guys had a worse time of it, but I know things can get in your head and stay there. And maybe with anything else I might not be able to help, or make a difference, but because I understand… them… I feel like I'm responsible for helping you."

Lex felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room. "Does helping me include this?" Lex asked, referring to the situation they found themselves in.

Owen laced his fingers through Lex's hair, stopping at the top of her neck. "No," he said, pulling her closer, and she, letting herself be led forward, "this is for purely selfish reasons."

Owen brought Lex's lips to his gently. The first kiss was chaste, exploratory, and meant to test the waters. When Lex didn't pull away, Owen deepened his kiss, and plied her lips open with his, his tongue gently teasing her bottom lip.

Lex felt all the blood in her body rushing, adrenaline coursing through her, heightening every sensation. She exhaled, fell deeper into Owen's arms, and let the world around her fade.

 **Author's note: WOW, so many new followers, and new favorites. Thank you guys so much for being so enthusiastic about the story. I just wanted to post this chapter really quickly. I do plan on posting another one later this evening (July 16th), but just a heads-up on what's going on that might infringe on my rate of publishing. I'm going away for my bachelorette party this weekend, and will be getting married next week, and going on my honeymoon after that. So with that in mind, being that it's a pretty important time in my life, I will understandably be unable to update as often as I have been these past 2 days, BUT I love this story so much that I promise to you I will write as often as I can and update when I get free moments.**


	11. Chapter 11

Lex's head was swimming as Owen cradled her head with one hand, his other planted firmly on her waist. She loved the way his strong hands felt against her body. A small noise came from her throat confirming that everything he was doing was right. His fingers pressed harder into her hip, and then he moved his hand further up so that it was just below her breast. With no bra between the flannel shirt and her body, Owen was able to feel all of her, and it excited him.

One of Lex's hands came up to rest on Owen's hard chest, the other wrapped around the back of his arm, seeking stability in his shoulder. Out of nowhere, a shiver ran through Lex's body, causing Owen to pull back.

"Are you cold?" He asked, sweetly concerned for her comfort.

Lex took a moment to be able to form words. Her head was swimming. "Yeah, I suppose I am… Wet hair and all."

Owen kissed Lex lightly on the lips. "Let me go get something for you, I'll be right back." He reluctantly slid back and out of the galley booth, and disappeared up the stairs towards his bungalow. Lex felt like part of her had been ripped away very suddenly. Feeling very sure the feeling was reciprocated now, Lex stood and padded barefoot in Owen's direction. She climbed the wooden stairs carefully. When she reached the top, Owen was folding the blanket he had pulled off the bed.

He looked around his shoulder and found that Lex was standing in the small room where his bed was. For a moment he only looked at her, searching her face for a sign of how to proceed. She stood there, fidgeting with her left thumb, the sleeves of Owen's shirt far too long for her own arms. She took a few steps closer to him, feeling the dry wood beneath her feet. She reached Owen, and grabbed the blanket out of his hands, setting it down at the foot of the bed.

She placed her hands on his waist, and leaned into him. Owen gladly closed the distance and kissed Lex deeply again, his hands laced in her hair behind her ears. Lex moved her hands tentatively under his shirt, feeling how warm his skin was. Her thumbs traced his waistline just above his shorts, causing him to sigh involuntarily. Lex took that as the sign to proceed, and began lifting his shirt further up his chest. Owen obliged in doing the rest of the work for her, and tossed the shirt on the floor.

Lex took in the sight of him, and ran her hands up his abdomen, to his chest. Lex looked behind herself, and found that the bed was only two feet from her ankles. It was a low profile bed that only came up about a foot off the floor, giving the bungalow even more of a rustic feel. At its head there were several pillows strewn about, and the white sheets were still unmade from the last time he'd slept in it. She sat on the foot of the bed so her legs were dangling off, and she reached out for Owen's hands. He approached her slowly, still standing before her.

She held his gaze, and they shared a knowing glance. It made her smile, and wordlessly, she let his hands go, and reached for the buttons of his shorts. Soon they were undone, and Lex hooked a finger in Owen's boxer briefs, waiting for him to do the rest. He obliged her, and slid his shorts and underwear off, and kicked them aside.

The sight of him completely naked in front of her caused Lex to blush, and lightly bite her lip. Owen leaned down, causing Lex to lean back, allowing him to tower over her. Suddenly, he snaked an arm around the small of her back, and pulled her further up the bed, causing her to squeak in surprise. Lex landed gently, but the look in Owen's eyes was that of hunger. It caused her to smile ear to ear, and blush deeply.

Owen was propped up on an elbow, leaning over Lex as he kissed her again. His other hand found her thigh, and worked its way up, bringing his flannel shirt with it. Soon, the shirt was around her waist, and her bare stomach was exposed. Owen put his thumb under one of the sides of her lacy underwear, and felt the skin over her hipbones.

Unable to stand not seeing all of her, Owen ripped the front of the shirt open, each of the pearl snaps giving easily. With her bare breasts, and flat stomach exposed, Owen looked her up and down. He looked back into her eyes, brushed back her blonde hair with his free hands, saying, "you are so beautiful."

Lex smiled into the back of her hand, then ran it through her hair. She sat up, and quickly shed the shirt that no longer served any purpose. It joined Owen's shirt on the floor. Owen quickly started placing kisses on her collarbones, her neck, her chest, her stomach, working his way down her body. He knelt on the bed near her hips, and tucked his fingers into each side of her underwear. He searched Lex's eyes for assent. She nodded lightly, and they were gently removed, and pulled off her legs.

Lex could feel the wetness that had begun to accumulate when they had first kissed in the galley. The air felt cold against her in the absence of her panties. Lex again blushed as Owen parted her legs, running his hands along her thighs. She heard him make a small groan of approval as he felt her wetness with the tips of his fingers.

She gasped at the sudden contact, and tilted her hips in desire for more. Owen gave her what she wanted, gently slipping a finger in and out. Finally, a second joined, and Owen settled into his place between Lex's legs, continuing his work. With two fingers still inside her, Owen's mouth descended onto the sensitive cluster of nerves above, encircling it. Lex's hips bucked at the contact, and she cried out.

"God, Owen!" She clutched at the sheets on either side of her, and when that wasn't enough, snaked her fingers through his hair and gripped as he brought her closer to the edge. Lex moved her hips, helping Owen to get her to orgasm. Finally, the walls around Lex seemed to fall as she came around his fingers. When she had finished twitching, and her hands left his hair, Owen slid back up to Lex's face, kissing her. She could taste herself on his lips.

"God you're amazing," he said, against her lips.

Owen laid more sweet kisses on her lips, while she reached for him with her hand. When she found him, he was completely hard. She groaned in approval as she felt his length. Lex could feel moisture at his tip, and knew that she couldn't wait any longer. Taking control, Lex pushed Owen onto his back, and she quickly hopped on top of him, legs straddling his hips. She kissed him as she slid herself up and down the length of him, exciting him even further. Just as she reached the top, she paused a moment, just before tilting her hips ever so. She watched the look in his eyes as she slowly lowered herself onto him, taking him in completely. His eyes rolled back in his head, he cursed, and gripped at her hips. Soon, Lex and Owen were moving their hips in perfect syncopation. Lex knew it wouldn't take long to get him to come, so she put all her effort into her work, and brought herself closer to the edge.

Lex felt him harden even more, and just as she began to come, he followed soon after, grunting and panting. As soon as she no longer felt him twitch inside her, she pulled him out, and fell onto the bed beside him. Owen and Lex continued to catch their breath, but even still, he rolled over, and kissed Lex over and over, on his face a new sheen of sweat.

Lex soon nestled into Owen's arms, and drew the blanket at the foot of the bed around the two of them. There, with her head on his chest, Lex knew that with this man, who was still little more than a stranger by normal standards, she was safe.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: I am so sorry for the long break in publishing! Thank you guys for being patient with me as I went through one of the most important times in my life (marriage/honeymoon/working on changing my legal name). It's been crazy, but things are starting to settle down, and I really wanted to dig back into this story. I have a short chapter, and I'm hoping that it will tide you over until I can really flesh out some more chapters. Cheers!**

The storm had reached its high point. Lex sat, dressed again in Owen's flannel shirt, in the booth of the galley, and stared out the window. She had focused on a nearby palm tree, and watched as its leaves blew harshly in the wind. The sky was now dark. Lex wrapped her hands around the mug of coffee that Owen had made for her. Owen slid into the booth beside her, clad only in his boxer briefs and a white tee shirt. He put his hand on Lex's leg, which was covered by the blanket taken from the bed.

"Where are you?" Owen's voice broke Lex's trance.

"Huh?" She looked back at Owen, and drank from the coffee, which has finally reached a drinkable temperature.

"You're clearly lost in thought. Where are you?"

"Oh." Lex gave a small smile. "Just thinking about when I was here." Lex looked from Owen's eyes down to her coffee, self-consciously.

"Tell me about it," Owen said.

"You know what happened," Lex's eyes pleaded with Owen's.

"Yes, but not from your perspective. And if I'm going to be showing you what we have going with the raptors, I'd like to know what it is that you've experienced."

Lex steeled herself. "My granddad, he... he wanted us to be his sort of test subjects for the park. We were so excited." Lex smiled, recalling the time before she came to the park. "Tim was so into dinosaurs after he learned that grandpa was working on something with dinosaurs. He read up on everything he could find. And when he found out that Alan Grant was going to be with us, he just about lost a gasket."

Owen sat silently, letting Lex continue her story at her own pace.

"I read Doctor Malcolm's book, and later learned that the park was at risk for never being opened to begin with. Shareholders were getting nervous after a few park workers had died. So we were sort of a desperate, Hail Mary. I loved my grandfather, Owen. But he gambled with our lives." Lex searched Owen's eyes. She found no pity, but understanding.

"All these years I've gone through what happened, what I did… A couple of times I made things worse, I know. I was just a scared kid. But even now I agonize about the things I did to make… _her_ … see us in that Explorer. Thank god for Doctor Grant." Lex paused. "The SUV was just twisted metal by the end. Knocked off the dam like it was a pebble."

She sighed, hoping to gloss over the finer details. Her heart quickened as she remembered. "So we were out there. In the park. Alone with a paleontologist who only studied bones and dust. But he was the best person to have been out there with. And you know, the raptors, they… they're a different type of fear."

She searched Owen's eyes for what he was thinking. "The T-Rex was terrifying. I thought I was going to die, Owen. She was crushing us under the SUV. But the raptors were a special type of intelligent. Fast. So smart… We underestimated them. And those _sounds_ they make, Owen. They haunted my dreams for so long."

"I was twelve when it happened. Too young to have seen any of that. My survival instincts have been on high alert for most of my life because of it." Lex gave a half smile, looking down at the coffee mug that had been clutched in her hands as a form of distraction. "Relationships suffered for it. Guess men don't like sleeping next to someone who has night terrors. Too much baggage."

Lex sighed and ran a hand through her now wavy blonde hair.

Owen chewed the inside of his lip a moment, before speaking. "You ever think of letting someone else help carry those bags for you?"

"Well, that doesn't exactly seem fair to the person who's helping," Lex knew where he was going with this.

"I know the animals. I can be your sort of…"

"Therapist?" Lex asked, amusement spreading across her face. "Oh, Owen if a weekend with you is all I need to conquer my past, I'll write you a check for double what I've paid my actual therapist over the past decade."

"Oh, so I'm getting _paid_ to service you now, huh?" Owen asked with a wicked grin.

Lex's mouth fell open. She brought a hand up to it, covering her embarrassment. "No, god, that's not what I meant!" She could see the playfulness in Owen's face, so she allowed herself to laugh with him.

Owen took his arm and looped it around the small of Lex's back, pulling her towards him, letting out a playful growl. "You're wicked," Lex said, blushing as Owen pulled her legs over his lap so she was very nearly sitting on it. She leaned in to kiss Owen, and just before his lips met hers, he seemed to purr the words, "the best kind of wicked."

The evening passed lightly enough, with the storm dwindling down and stopping entirely by midnight. By then, Lex and Owen were far too tired to part ways, so Lex slept in Owen's bed. She still felt as if she was imposing, and even apologized for it while nestled under a blanket, lying next to him. He reassured her, pulling her to himself and breathing her in.

Owen marveled to himself as he sensed Lex fall asleep in the crook of his arm. He wondered why he had felt so protective over her, a virtual stranger. And why? Because she was John Hammond's granddaughter? Because he felt he needed to show her that raptors weren't just killing machines, but intelligent animals capable of a real bond with humans? If that was so, he felt guilty for taking her to bed in the process. Had he slept with her just to defend his four adolescent raptors? Feeling her in his arms, and listening to her small breaths, he shook that from his mind, and allowed himself to fall asleep with her.


	13. Chapter 13

The sun shone through the tattered curtains of the small bungalow. The sun had just risen, and the skies were now clear of all clouds. The storm had passed, leaving in its wake a damp, but sunny oasis. Near Owen's bungalow there were scattered palm leaves torn from their trees during the storm. Owen had roused from sleep, and looked over at a still sleeping Lex. A blonde curl had fallen across her face in sleep, and he gently swept it aside with his fingers, careful not to wake her.

Padding barefoot down the steps to the galley of his airstream trailer, Owen picked up a pair of khaki pants, and slipped them on. As he reached into the small refrigerator for a half gallon of orange juice, he heard the crunch of gravel under wheels come from outside. He closed the refrigerator door. Looking out the window, he saw the Mercedes-Benz that belonged to Claire Dearing. Flexing his jaw, he considered the few ways this was going to play out. In an effort to keep her out of his bungalow, Owen opened the door of the trailer, and walked outside to meet Claire as she stepped out of her SUV. Unsurprisingly, she was perfectly made up in a tailored skirt suit with high heels on. Owen shook his head at the impracticality of what she was wearing.

"Mr. Graddy," Claire said, with some reluctance, cell phone clutched in her hand. She shifted uncomfortably as Owen stood there, clad only in khaki pants, his hair a tousled mess. She made it a point to not notice.

"It's Owen, for the thousandth time. A little early for house calls, don't you think, Claire?" Owen asked.

Claire forced a fake smile. "I am getting a jump start on fixing what happened yesterday. I came here to talk to you about Alexis Murphy, and our plan to turn everything around."

" _'Turn everything around'_?" Owen scrunched his eyebrows.

"Yes," Claire said, shifting her weight to one hip. "The article has to paint us in a good light, and from what I hear, she didn't exactly leave the paddock in good spirits."

"No, well, she wouldn't with Hoskins around, would she?"

"Well, I wouldn't know what you mean by that," Claire steeled her blue gaze at Owen, sticking to her official policy of a 'need to know' basis.

"Mhmm…"

"So, once we're caught up here, I'll make my way to Lex's bungalow, and we can just clean up this whole mess… _Can't you put a shirt on or something_?"

"Lady, you're the one who came here unannounced. And at 6:30 no less. So no, I think I'm good just the way I am."

Claire huffed, and Owen could practically see her counting to five in her mind, trying not to let him ruffle her feathers. "I will meet with Lex. We will take her on the tour of Jurassic Park that our _patrons_ see. She will meet with Doctor Wu. She will interview you, and…" Claire trailed off, noticing movement from the still open trailer door. She blinked a few times out of disbelief. There, Lex Murphy stood, bare legged, with only an oversized flannel shirt on, covering the necessary bits.

"Owen?" Lex called out, and stopped in her tracks as she saw the two of them standing there. Mortified, she took a step back, muttering obscenities to herself, and closed the door. She set about finding her clothes that were still hanging in the galley.

Claire's mouth hung open. She closed in on Owen. "Are you _kidding_ me with this?"

Owen shrugged reluctantly, and exhaled. "Is there a problem, Claire?"

"You—" Claire stammered. "This article is supposed to highlight one of the many innovative programs we have here at the park. This is not a spring break trip for her!"

" _Hey_ ," Owen said, defensively, "she doesn't answer to you and neither do I. What we do in our off time has nothing to do with getting the job done."

"This is totally unprofessional…"

"Oh god," Owen ran his hand through his hair, and eventually set about wiping the sleep from his eyes. "No wonder we didn't have a second date."

"That is—that is completely irrelevant to what's happening right now."

While Owen and Claire bickered outside, Lex scurried to find her things. Her shirt and shorts had not completely dried in the night, as the humidity was so high. She considered for a moment, and decided to slide on her shorts, and keep Owen's shirt on. She slipped her shoes on, and gathered her messy hair into a small bun at the base of her neck.

She heard only snippets of what Claire and Owen were saying. It was enough for her to fear Claire's gaze as she came outside. For some reason, the way Claire was speaking with Owen made Lex feel as if she'd done something wrong. When she mustered the courage to step outside, Claire and Owen ceased their back and forth banter.

They both looked back at her. Lex approached Owen, and stood beside him, looking at Claire sheepishly. "I'm… I know how this looks. Believe me, Miss Dearing, I am here to write an article. You all will get the article that was promised. Yesterday was… Hard for me. I think you can imagine what it was like for me."

Claire mulled this over, and decided that Lex's reaction was completely reasonable given her personal experience with the assets at the park. She put her PR hat on, mentally, and pushed through the awkward situation in which they found themselves. "I apologize for us throwing you into the deep end like that yesterday. I was thinking we'd go about things with a different approach today. I thought it might be nice to just enjoy the park first, before any interviews with Doctor Wu or… Mr. Graddy." Claire suddenly thought of how absurd it was that Lex would still be interviewing Owen, given that they'd clearly spent the night together.

"I uh… ' _Enjoy_.'" She repeated, ironically. "Ok, I'll play along. Park tour, sure."

Claire smiled. "Excellent. Well…" She looked Lex up and down. "I'm sure you want to… freshen up before we start the day."

"Yes, I think that's in order."

"Right, well, I can certainly take you back to your bungalow before we're ready. Someone will be there at 8 to pick you up."

"I'll take her," Owen said, shaking his head at the absurdity of Claire driving Lex. He knew she only offered to play the part of accommodating poster girl for Jurassic World, but even he knew when to put a stop to it.

After he had shooed Claire off, he could quite literally see the tension leave Lex's body. He hooked a finger into one of Lex's shorts pockets, and pulled her close. He put his hands on her hips, and her hands effortlessly rested on his upper arms. "Good morning," Owen said, sweetly. He kissed her neck, making her smile, despite how worried she was about how she looked to Claire.

"Morning," she responded. "Jesus, and that wasn't awkward at all."

"Look, the ice queen is gonna think what she wants to think. You're Lex Murphy, and you don't give a shit about what people think." Owen said, bringing a hand to the back of Lex's neck. It gently rested there, and he brought her in for a chaste kiss, given that the both of them still had morning breath.

"If only that were true," Lex said. Owen broke away from Lex and went back to his trailer. "I'll just grab a shirt. Hang on a sec." He left Lex waiting in the grass outside the bungalow. When he came back out, he had on a new shirt, and his boots. He went into his shed, and pulled out his beloved motorcycle, and stopped where Lex was standing. He offered Lex the helmet that was clipped to the back of the bike. "What will you wear?"

"I wouldn't look nearly as cool with a helmet on." Lex gave him a reproachful look. "It's fine, we're only going a short distance. You're wearing the helmet though," he added seriously. Lex smiled, and clipped it on. Owen straddled the bike, and waited for Lex to climb aboard behind him. "Ok, put your arms around my waist." Lex complied happily, getting yet another chance to feel Owen's warm skin beneath his knit shirt.

"You good?" he asked over his shoulder.

Lex gave her confirmation, and off they went. It was such a short ride to her bungalow, Lex thought vaguely that she could have walked it just fine. A humorous thought crossed her mind as she remembered her days in college, making the walk back from a boy's dorm in the morning to her dorm room wearing the same clothes she'd worn the night before. When they arrived, and the motorcycle had been shut off, Lex took the helmet off, and hung it on one of the handlebars.

When they had reached the front door to her bungalow, Owen pulled her hand to keep her from walking in. "Hey," he said, placing a small kiss on her lips. "I have to go back to my place and get ready for work. But I'll see you in a few hours when Claire's got us slated for that interview."

Lex nodded. "Yeah, ok… Thank you for the ride."

"See you soon…" Owen kissed Lex deeply, pulling back to gaze at her briefly before he left.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's note: Thank you all for being so patient. I also appreciate all the new follows, favorites, and your reviews especially. I read each one of them, and can't thank you enough for your kind words.**

Lex followed patiently as Claire Dearing navigated her way through the main entrance hall of Jurassic World. Claire had a binder clutched in her hands, and held it to her like it was a flotation device. Lex smirked inwardly as she thought how Claire was like the workers on the Titanic, denying that anything was wrong as the ship steadily took on water. Still, she played along.

Claire stopped just before reaching a tall, bronze statue. Lex's heart stopped momentarily as she registered whose likeness was captured in time. John Hammond. He stood proudly, hand over a walking stick, welcoming all patrons to Jurassic World. Lex now wanted for Claire to get on with what she had in mind. The statue's presence was oppressive.

"Right, so…" Claire breathed in deeply and optimistically. "I thought we could get you into a gyrosphere for the herbivore tour, and then a meeting with Dr. Wu. Finally, and finally Mr. Graddy." The last name caught in Claire's throat. Lex tried not to notice.

Lex unconsciously clenched her teeth throughout the entire gyrosphere ride. She remembered the valley very well, after nearly being run over by a pack of gallimimuses. Of her experiences on Isla Nulbar, that was admittedly one of the least offensive. She also was never much of a fan of Jimmy Fallon, so the intro video was an added annoyance. She sat, next to Claire Dearing, who seemed so out of place in a gyrosphere in her tailored suit. The whole ride, Lex made notes on her own legal pad.

Claire broke the silence. "I'm sorry about this morning. Had I known I would be intruding on such a… private moment, I would have called ahead."

Lex pressed her lips together in a thin line. "That's fine, I didn't expect to be caught at Owen's place the whole night. The storm, it just wasn't a good idea to get out in the worst of it."

"Well, you two seem to have gotten on well." Claire paused. Lex wasn't taking the bait. "He's not everyone's type."

"That so?" Lex said, side eyeing Claire. "I wasn't aware he had to be."

"No, no, of course not, it's just…" Claire continued, digging herself further and further into a hole. "What kind of man wears board shorts to a date?"

"The kind who's in Central America," Lex said flatly. "Look, what ever tension there is between you and Owen, I don't care. I'm here to write an article for the New York Times. I'm trying to be professional, Miss Dearing. Lest you want my article about the raptor project to be anything less than a shining endorsement."

That shut Claire up quickly. She sucked her teeth the rest of the trip, and finally, much to Lex's relief, the gyrosphere ride ended, and she was taken back into the main headquarters of Jurassic World. As Claire led her through door after door, using an electronic key to get further and further, Lex thought of how technology always had its failings. She knew that first-hand.

They seemed to have slowed, and the signs on the walls became increasingly severe and more frequent. Lex chewed the inside of her cheek briefly. She knew that where there were signs warning against radiation and biohazards, Henry Wu was not far off. Lex had not had a whole lot of interaction with the man. He'd been seen in her grandfather's mansion a few times, both before and after the disaster at Jurassic Park. Lex secretly resented the man for fanning the flames of her grandfather's obsession. He struck her as the wheeler-dealer type. Then again, so was her grandfather, in a way.

Just as they entered the highly restricted rooms, Lex was greeted with all-too-familiar images. Incubators, egg clutches, machines with indistinguishable purposes. Lex sighed slightly. As her eyes roved over the contents of the lab, they finally lighted on a man in a grey blazer and a black, half turtleneck. His eyes lit up when he caught her gaze.

"Alexis Murphy," Henry Wu said cordially, approaching Lex warmly. He took Lex's hand in his.

"Dr. Wu," Lex said. "Thank you for welcoming me into the lab."

"Anything for John's granddaughter," Wu said, wearing the smile of a crocodile.

"Well, the Times wants what the Times wants," Lex said dismissively.

Claire had watched enough of the exchange, and felt the need to chime in. "Dr. Wu, would you mind showing Lex around the lab? I'll just be waiting here at the table." Claire sat at Wu's desk, which had a clear pot of tea resting on it.

Wu extended his hand, and brought Lex around the various stations of the lab. As he was talking, Lex noticed how much he had aged, and at the same time, how little. His hair was cropped close, with grey hair at his temples. He'd swapped his lab coat for a sports jacket. He looked more polished, more business-like.

"… of course the number of species we have here at Jurassic World has increased since the initial group. The park is a lot like a museum. Always have to have a new attraction. Have to keep the people coming."

"Last I checked, Dr. Wu, there were hour-long lines for each attraction here in the park. It doesn't look like the park is hurting for business."

"Day to day, no, but Mr. Masrani always wants to stay on top of the game. If we're down to the figures on paper, it's the gradual loss of patronage that worries InGen and Masrani Global."

"There are only so many species of dinosaurs whose DNA you can extract from amber, Dr. Wu. And this island is only so big." Lex's statement hung in the air, and Wu calculated the look on her face. Still, he said nothing.

"You know, you've grown up since I last saw you," Wu stated.

"Yes, well, I should hope so. I was 18 when I last saw you."

"Has it truly been that long?" Dr. Wu continued to prattle on with niceties.

Dr. Wu and Lex had made a complete walk around the lab, and stopped near the table where Claire was intently typing on her smart phone. Behind the table, Lex noticed an interactive screen with images of DNA strands spinning idly, charts, and blocks of text. Lex's eyes focused on two words in the block of text.

"In-do-min-us Rex…" Lex sounded the word out slowly, interrupting Wu. It was a word she'd never heard before, which was surprising, given that she had to grow up around Tim, the ever-aspiring paleontologist. Dr. Wu left his train of thought hanging in the air. "What's the Indominus Rex?"

Claire stood abruptly, and stood next to Dr. Wu. "Dr. Wu is the head of the genetic program here. The list of projects running is extensive, but a part of a greater whole."

Lex didn't understand what she meant by that. Still, she furrowed her brow, writing the name down on her legal pad. Claire's insides screamed as she saw Lex write the name. "Miss Murphy, we have a few projects that we would like to stay under wraps for the time being. Mr. Masrani had hoped to reveal certain things in their due course. I know you understand."

Lex clicked the back of her pen a few times. "Right…" Lex smiled, and sat at the table. "I'm here to talk about raptors."

Dr. Wu followed suit, and their interview about the raptors commenced. Lex asked him a litany of questions about what the genetics of the raptor indicated, versus what had been observed in the animals themselves. To that, Wu answered, "When you consider that all Jurassic World animals are created with some portion of genetics from other animals, it's hard to predict some behaviors. So too is it hard to predict certain behaviors from paleontology alone. What we've found is that indeed, the raptors are more intelligent than we initially thought. They are pack hunters. And very fiercely maternal. That was the most surprising of the finds."

The interview concluded just as Lex thought it would. She was given plenty of pre-prepared quotes for her article. She sighed when she looked at the notes she'd written. Dr. Wu may as well have written them himself. She stood to leave when the interview was over, shook Dr. Wu's hand, and stole one final, secretive glance at the interactive screen behind him before following Claire out the door.


	15. Chapter 15

Lex tried not to let her mind dwell too much on the interview with Henry Wu, and the non-answer given to Lex when she asked what the Indominus Rex was. She only had about 24 hours left in her time on Isla Nublar. She thought briefly how anxious she was to finally get off the island, but then reeled back her wishes when she thought of what she'd have to leave behind…

Owen. Lex had not seen him since they parted that morning, and much had been left unsaid. Everything that happened last night had been left in the air. Lex was finally on her way back to the velociraptor paddock to conduct her last interview, but she knew that it was not the time for them to discuss the intricacies and implications of their night together.

As soon as she reached the raptor paddock, sitting silently in the passenger seat of Claire's Mercedes, she saw that someone was standing near the other vehicles. It was Owen. He appeared to be waiting for Lex. His hands were in his pockets, and he gazed intently at the approaching SUV. Claire parked her vehicle, and the two women exited the vehicle. Owen ignored Claire's presence, and went to Lex's side. Claire rounded on the vehicle and clenched her teeth slightly when she saw Owen's hand resting protectively on the small of Lex's back. She stood back briefly, waiting. For what, she had no idea.

Owen stood in front of Lex, whose eyes were wide. She looked into Owen's eyes. He spoke with her quietly. "I'm going to be here the whole time. Everything is under control. They're behind the bars. We can do this in any order you choose. Interview first? Or them?"

Lex swallowed. Her light blue eyes seemed to cling to Owen for safety. She took a small breath. "Them. I want it over with."

Owen also took a small breath. He nodded. His hand now rested on the side of her arm. "Ok. Miss Dearing," he spoke now to the woman who was shifting uncomfortably, watching their exchange, "I will take Lex around the raptor paddock. After that, we're going to the office, and we'll conduct the interview. I would appreciate it very much if you would wait out here."

"Mr. Grady—" Claire objected.

"Mr. Grady _what_?" Owen said. "What happened yesterday isn't going to happen today. And for that not to happen, it needs to be me who takes her. Got it?"

Claire's lips pursed. "Fine." Claire pulled her phone back up to her face, and stomped to the driver's side of the SUV, settling into the seat, typing intently on the touch screen.

Lex swallowed. Owen took Lex's hand briefly in his, and led her to the entrance of the paddock. He traced his thumb along the side of her palm. "The whole time," he reassured her. As they walked through the entrance of the paddock, Owen let Lex's hand go. Instinctively she drew her legal pad and pen up to her stomach protectively. She knew holding onto Owen in front of his crew would be unprofessional, but still she longed to have his hand take hers again.

His voice brought her out of her initial stage of fear. "As you can see, we have handlers all over the paddock at all times." Lex's eyes rested on the crewmen who were resting their arms casually on the bars. There were multiple fences erected, so their cavalier stance was understandable. Still, they gazed at her, a sort of mystified look on each of their faces. Was it pity? Awe? Lex had hoped it was awe rather than pity that drew their eyes to her. She had, after all, survived the park before, and escaped death nearly a dozen times, most of those times being close calls with the very animals they were paid to watch over. So Lex hoped that since they knew their nature, they wouldn't judge her too harshly.

To move things along, and to try to forget the eyes on her, Lex cleared her throat and began her questioning. "Let me start by asking—how old are these raptors?"

"Ten months old." Owen responded dutifully.

"When will they reach maturity?"

"Twelve months."

"What was their raising like?"

Owen smiled slightly. "I raised these raptors from the moment they hatched. It was imperative to the project that they bond with one person, and that person needs to be there for the birth in order to get a foothold on imprinting."

"Can you tell me a little more about imprinting?" Lex was scratching away with her pen on her legal pad. Owen peered at her, wearing her glasses and her hair back in a neat braid. He thought momentarily about how beautiful she was.

"Raptors have more in common with birds than they do with reptiles, we've found. At least behaviorally. The young imprint on the being that's present most during their younger days. And surprisingly, Lex, they're very tame while they're young. Once they start to reach maturity, their aggressive behaviors start to come out."

"I recall." Lex said, her writing stopped. "When we came here, we were taken on a tour of the lab. We were shown the eggs, yes, but there was another room. They had toys, like they would for a dog. There was a raptor about the size of a cocker spaniel. It really took to Timmy…" Lex cleared her throat. She'd used her childhood nickname for her brother. "Tim. It really liked close contact. Dr. Grant took the animal and started man-handling it, almost. Like a scientist… It didn't like that."

"I'd never heard that before." Owen scrunched his eyebrows.

"Tim never mentioned it in his interviews, and Dr. Malcolm didn't write about it in his book. I guess some things didn't register as important to everyone else. In any case… I can actually see how they'd be docile at a younger age."

"Right." Owen's stomach pulled. She'd opened up to him again, and this time it wasn't information he'd heard from the mouths of other people.

"At what point do you have to stop handling them like you would an infant?"

Owen smirked yet again. He pulled up his arm, and showed small bite marks on the back of his forearm. They were so faint, Lex easily missed them. "When they start getting fresh." Owen chuckled. Lex allowed herself to give a half smile.

"So at that point, we transition them to the larger pen. I still see them every day. They have formed bonds with other handlers who're here more often, like Barry," Owen nodded his head to a black man leaning against the bars like the others. He gave a small wave. Lex remembered him from the bar.

"I'm not able to cuddle them like babies, but they still trust me. So, we've started working on commands, hand signals. They're very motivated by reward."

"Reward?" Lex scratched again on her legal pad.

"Rats, typically. We buy them in bulk like you would a large snake."

Lex wrote more down. "Why was the program started?"

Owen blinked. "Well, I wasn't present when it was thought up. But I was contacted by Mr. Masrani several months before the program started. I was working with silverback gorillas when he called me. He told me he needed someone with experience on behavioral studies, but someone capable with a weapon."

"Did he explain what he wanted you to do?"

"No, I had to sign a non-disclosure agreement before he would tell me what exactly he was doing here. But, for someone like me… It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was about to start writing my dissertation on animal behavior, and was initially going to study gorillas. But here it was. A chance to publish an honest-to-god first study of raptor behavior."

Lex stopped writing, and her eyes snapped up to Owen. "You didn't mention you were getting your doctorate."

"No, I didn't…" Owen said. "I sort of told them I needed a break. They've given me a year to get further in this study before I have to start writing again. But we need to sit down if we're gonna be talking about me now…"

By then, Lex and Owen had made a complete circle around the paddock. Owen silently congratulated himself, as he was able to hold Lex's attention the entire time whilst four adolescent raptors watched them complete the length of the paddock.

Owen gestured towards the outside of the paddock, to the building she'd been in yesterday with Hoskins. Lex followed his lead, and bit her lip to keep from smiling when Owen discreetly put his hand on Lex's hip as they entered the building. Lex picked a chair, and sat. Owen followed suit, but pulled his chair so close to hers that their knees nearly touched.

"Ok, so we were talking about me," Owen said with a devilish glint in his eyes.

Lex licked her lips instinctually, and tried to hide her smile. "Yes, I believe we were. And you just told me that you're going to be Doctor Graddy some time soon, so that's something."

Owen cringed at the sound of Doctor being placed before his surname. "You know, I'm not sure I'll ever get used to that title."

"What, doctor?" Lex asked, incredulously. Owen nodded and pursed is lips. "Oh, come on, it's a sign of your accomplishment. You'll have earned it. Where are you getting the degree?"

"Boston University."

Lex's stomach filled momentarily with butterflies. That was so close to Manhattan. A decent train ride, and an even faster plane ride… She mentally shook herself, and got back to the task at hand.

"I hope I don't sound insulting when I say I wouldn't have pegged you for a hardcore academic," Lex said.

"Not at all. I actually prefer fieldwork. Save for the raptor project, I hadn't really given much thought to being published at all. I just wanted to work with animals." Lex's heart swelled. He loved animals… she was always a sucker for guys who loved animals. She just hadn't anticipated that raptors would be on that list of animals for Owen.

Lex was again writing on her legal pad. She spoke without raising her eyes. "And what drew you to animal behavior studies?"

"Dr. Grant." Lex's hand stopped. She looked up at Owen. She paused.

" _Alan_ Grant?"

"Yes, actually. I met him… in '93. I didn't know it until years later of course, but… right before he came to Isla Nublar."

Lex was stunned. "I don't understand."

"Montana." Owen began to explain. "My parents signed me up for this… dig. In '93. I was still a younger teenager, but I was old enough that it left a lasting impression on me. I met Alan in the badlands of Montana on that dig. Oh, we were doing grunt work mostly, just a little ride-along if you will, but my exchange with Doctor Grant made me think twice about how I treat and look at animals."

Lex waited for Owen to continue. She dare not start writing again.

"I was a stupid kid…" Owen recalled, a smile creeping up in the corner of his mouth. "He'd pulled up this image of a raptor skeleton still in the ground, on a TV screen. It was all new technology at the time you see, but… Without it being right there in front of me, on that fuzzy monitor, it just looked like a six-foot turkey to me. And I told him that."

Lex drew her hand up to her mouth in disbelief. "You what?"

"Yeah, I told him it didn't look very scary. That it looked like a six-foot turkey. That's when he started to rip into me. He described, in very vivid detail how a raptor would split me open and eat me while I was still alive, and that I should have a little respect."

Lex could hardly suppress her laughter with her hand pressed over her mouth. She removed it, smiling, and said, "that has Doctor Grant written all over it."

"Yeah it does," he said. "I haven't seen the man since then, but it really stuck with me."

"I'm surprised though that out of that, you got animal behavior, and not paleontology. My brother Tim was just over the moon about Grant, and surprisingly even after Isla Nublar, he still went on and became a paleontologist."

"Well, I am more into the practical application of science, rather than philosophical."

"I can tell," Lex said, and began jotting down notes. She finished by asking a few more routine questions, and finally was able to put her pen down. She flexed her hand to ease the soreness that had built up after writing so much, so quickly. Seeing this, Owen took Lex's hand in his, and began giving her a hand massage under the table.

"Are we done being professional now?" Owen asked, and kissed the palm of her hand after looking out the window to make sure they were out of range of anyone.

"I think so, but we've got to check with Claire before I can go back to my bungalow. How much more time do you need to spend here?"

Owen interlaced his fingers with Lex's. "I think I can get Barry and the others to finish up what I need done. You're still leaving tomorrow, and that means you can't get rid of me until then."

Lex smiled and stood, not wanting to delay a moment further. "Then let's go find out if we're done for the day. I don't want to lose a single minute with you." She kissed Owen on the cheek briefly, and left the building with him trailing behind her.

 **Author's Note: Absinthe Verte- thank you so much for the compliment! I'm really glad you're liking it so far. I second guess myself, but I'm definitely getting good feedback, so I know I'm going in the right direction. I hope you enjoy the update.**

 **To all, thank you again for your continued positivity! Enjoy! I hope to update soon again.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/U: I am SO SORRY for the delay in publishing. I promise, again, I will finish this story. So, for your patience with me, I've written several chapters at once, and I'm publishing them all at once. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

Lex and Owen had retired to her bungalow. Admittedly, even with Owen to distract her, Lex's mind was swimming with thoughts. She was being pulled every which way in terms of her own morality, her strange and surprising loyalty to a man she just met, and to her own ambitious desires at work. She stood, clothed only in the blanket drawn about her, and peered out of the window into the jungle behind her bungalow. She heard birds calling into the dusk, their final farewell to the day.

Owen was behind her, lounging on her bed, only a sheet to cover him. His head was propped on one of his hands, and he considered Lex.

"I have no idea what to write, Owen," Lex said, helplessly. She turned, and knelt on the bed before her. "This is what I _do_ , and I can't do it." She fought the tears that threatened to well in her eyes.

"Why?" Owen asked sympathetically. His question was more an invitation for her to vocalize what was going on inside her than incredulity.

"Well… you know how I hate this place. Despite its façade, despite seeing that on the surface it's seemingly a well-oiled machine, I know that there are too many variables. Doctor Malcolm's chaos theory outlines it perfectly. You can put lipstick on a pig, Owen, but it's still a pig. These… animals… are still prehistoric creatures whose genetics have been mixed with frogs, amphibians. We don't know the first thing about what their behavior was in the first place, and when you introduce new DNA, you've got an underlying risk factor that I can't even…"

Lex took a breath to steady herself and clear her thoughts.

"We've already gone over this. This is going to be the most difficult article I've ever written. I have to mask my distaste of this place. I have to downplay all this military weapon nonsense enough that I don't displease my boss and lose my job. I don't so much mind losing my job over not writing it, but I can't leave you to lose yours for failing to get me to write it…" And then there was the whole Indominus Rex mystery. Lex didn't want to share that with Owen just yet. She wasn't sure she'd know what to say, anyway.

"And the raptors _must_ have me here," Owen added, a hint of seriousness in his voice that unsettled Lex a bit. She still didn't know this man. She still didn't know what layers he had.

Lex licked her lips slightly. "And despite all of that, I find myself worrying about another thing." Her heartbeat quickened. She avoided Owen's eyes and focused on his arms.

As if by some psychic connection that existed between them, Owen already knew what else plagued Lex's thoughts. Silently he leaned forward and interlaced the fingers on his free hand with one of Lex's.

"There's only one thing that I like about this place." Lex's hand tightened on Owen's. "And for all I know, it's a permanent fixture."

"For the time being, yes. At least until I can get Hoskins off this harebrained idea with my raptors."

A knowing silence passed between them. Owen didn't quite know what to say. What he wanted to say, however, that was another thing. He still didn't know every facet of her, despite what he would have liked to think.

"If it's us you're worried about," Owen said, "don't." He knew that was far to ambiguous to be enough for her. "If it weren't for the raptors, and my study, I'd be on that plane with you tomorrow. And if I were a selfish and heartless man, I'd ask you to stay. If this were any other damned place in the world, Lex, I'd ask you to stay…"

Lex's heart skipped a beat at that. It was enough. She smiled, despite herself. "And you do have to finish your dissertation and defend it at some point. Boston isn't that far from New York."

Suddenly Lex's stomach knotted up. Was that too forward? Was speaking about the future too taboo at this point? She never was one to interpret the pacing of relationships. Her track record was pathetic.

Owen chuckled. "There is that, isn't there?" Owen's eyes glinted with playfulness. "I won't make any grandiose overtures. You're the last person I want to scare away. But I'm in if you are, Lex."

Lex felt a warmth pass over her that she hadn't felt in a very long time. She smiled and positioned herself next to Owen, laying on her side. "I am." And so Lex and Owen spent their last night together, bodies intertwined, sometimes talking, sometimes not at all, but nonetheless neither of them slept at all. As the sun rose, Lex packed her belongings, shared a quick cup of coffee with Owen, and said her goodbye.

She lingered in the doorway with her bag in hand, and kissed Owen deeply. Turning to leave, she tried to hide her smirk as she saw a red-headed female figure scowling behind the wheel of an ostentatious Mercedes-Benz SUV.


	17. Chapter 17

**_Raptor Behavior Study Underway at Jurassic World_**

 _Written by Alexis Murphy_

 _Owen Grady is an enigmatic figure. Having served twice in Afghanistan as a Navy Corpsman, Grady is no stranger to life-threatening situations. There is no doubt that his experience as a medic in the military has prepared him for such a dangerous career endeavor. Owen Grady is an animal behavior specialist, and PhD candidate from Boston University, conducting a study on the behavior of velociraptors. However, when asked what motivated him to become an animal behavioral specialist, he will certainly not cite his time served in a warzone as his motivation._

 _His inspiration came in 1993 when Grady was just a teenager. While on a paleontological dig in Montana, Grady met a man who would change his opinion of animals entirely. While Grady was merely a volunteer doing menial tasks in exchange for the opportunity to be on the site of a real dig, his exchange with the lead paleontologist had a lasting impact. Grady, still an impetuous and quick-to-judge teenager, commented on the perceived lack of ferocity of a velociraptor specimen still encased in its earthen tomb._

 _That is when Doctor Alan Grant set the record straight. What the esteemed Doctor Grant described to Grady was the velociraptor's hunting style. He described the lack of remorse as the raptor would slash at him with his elongated claw, and eat him while he was still alive._

 _What could have been the end of the story, and a very bruised ego, turned out to be the beginning of a passion for Grady. Since this exchange, Grady has made it his life's work to study the behavior of animals. In his wildest dreams though, Grady never thought he would indeed be able to study the behavior of the very animals that sparked his imagination._

 _The results of Grady's study are forthcoming, but when asked, Grady divulged that velociraptors appear to be highly intelligent creatures who are social, highly maternal with the young who are accepted into the pack, and can take commands. Though very young yet, only ten months old, Grady has hand raised four velociraptor females. No doubt harkening back to Grady's days in the military, their names are Charlie, Delta, Echo and Blue (so named for her coloring). Blue is the beta. Grady, astoundingly, is the Alpha._

 _Grady has progressed in his study to the point that the raptors take certain commands when prompted with a training clicker, and when enticed with treats in the form of full-grown feeder rats, which would normally be used to feed the largest specimens of snakes any zoo possesses. The commands range from when to run, when to stop, where to look, and Grady hopes those commands will accumulate as the raptors progress in age and maturity._

 _Grady is set to defend his dissertation in the spring of next year._

 _As many visitors to Jurassic World can attest, there is no velociraptor exhibit at the park. The raptors have merely been studied behind closed doors since the park's opening. There are no talks to open a velociraptor exhibit for park guests. However, the behavioral study has brought questions up of the capabilities and utility of velociraptor intelligence._

 _Some have suggested that velociraptors may be invaluable assets to be used in military operations, thus reducing the presence of troops on foreign soil, and being impervious to technological manipulation. Whether or not this would be a wise decision is irrelevant. The behavioral study is still not completed, and there is still not enough data to determine if raptors are a safe addition to our military. Moreover, any animal addition to military technology would have to undergo years of approvals, hearings, and legal votes. There is no doubt that this will be the beginning of a very heated debate._

 _Animals have been used militarily in the past, namely dolphins in the United States Navy, but never has so unpredictable and as dangerous an animal been used for military purposes. Critics may wonder what goals the United States is trying to achieve by using such dangerous animals. No matter how trainable a velociraptor may be, they are arguably one of the most dangerous animals living today. Their utilization in the military would have to be a decision widely supported, and a highly tested and scrutinized endeavor._

 _The question now is before us—can valociraptors be responsibly deployed as assets in the military? Only time, and extensive study, can tell._


	18. Chapter 18

Unconsciously, she held her breath as she pressed the "send" button on her email. In it she had attached her finished draft of her article. She had written as honest and as neutral an article as she could manage. She had purposely thrown in some ambiguous wording so as not to confuse readers of her personal endorsement of the program, or even the park itself.

She tried to not think of the barrage of calls, emails and tweets she would inevitably receive as a result of this article. She knew her past would be dragged out in front of the media. She knew the footage of her at her grandfather's funeral would be played. Ian Malcolm's book would be referenced. Even Tim's interviews given later in his life would be played. But no media source would be able to get a sound byte of her talking about her time at the park, or her relation to John Hammond. They wouldn't get either because they didn't exist.

She'd been lucky that she was able to resist saying anything to the media in the entire time after the truth about Jurassic Park had surfaced. It wasn't for lack of trying. Media outlets were constantly probing her personal affairs, haranguing her even outside of her own college courses in New York. Years after the fervor died down, and most reporters and journalists knew she wouldn't speak, there were always the young newcomers who thought they would be the lucky one.

It was ironic then that Lex had taken a job at the New York Times. Her bosses had always been very understanding about her reluctance to talk about what happened. One intern had made the mistake of blurting out all manner of inappropriate questions in the break room, earning the intern a glare from Lex, and the endless teasing from the rest of the office. But even in the midst of doing her dream job, Lex always wondered if the Times had hired her in the hopes that if she ever changed her mind, they would be the first to get the scoop. She knew that was probably the case, but still she put it in the back of her mind like you would an inevitable truth that hurt too much to admit.

About an hour and a half later, she was roused from her wandering thoughts in her office, by her boss's voice coming from her doorway.

"Not exactly a ringing endorsement, is it Lex?" Rich said gruffly. He held a printed copy of her article, marked to high hell in red pen. Rich was still old school, and didn't always make edits on Word. When he was truly displeased with a piece, he liked to mark it in bold red ink, just so you knew how much you'd fucked up.

Lex turned in her swivel chair towards Rich, and returned his gaze. She'd done her part, and she was damn well going to stand by what she wrote.

"It's neutral, Rich. I can't debase myself any further," Lex sipped on her Columbia University mug full of fresh coffee. "I'm not an opinion columnist. You knew this when you hired me on."

Rich seethed. He clutched the paper just enough, but not enough to crumple it completely.

"It's not my job to tell readers what to think. It's my job to present the facts and allow them to draw their own conclusions. Unless of course you want to drag us down to the level of news sources like Fox or CNN. We're the Times, Rich, and I will not sell my soul to the media devil."

Silence still passed between them. "I still can't sort out why you care about the tone so much Rich. It's like you have a stake in this or something. But I know that can't be right because… you're incorruptible Rich. You've always been one of my idols for that." Lex had pushed the knife in, and was now twisting.

"Publish it or don't. I did what I was told."

Rich swallowed. "The story," he finally found his voice. Lex searched his expression for more information. "The story you promised. That's all that stands between you and a severance package."

Lex's jaw flexed. Was she willing to go down in a blaze of glory? Was she willing to tell her boss to stick it where the sun don't shine, now that she'd done enough to save Owen's job? Without thinking, she spoke.

"Don't expect it overnight, Rich." Lex's eyes darkened. "It's a hard thing." There it was. A lifeline. Question was, how long would it last?

"Two months," Rich turned to leave. "Two months, and I have a written story in my inbox. You and I both know that when you were hired on, you would be expected to write this. You must have subconsciously picked that up. The board has made its decision clear."

And with that, as she watched Rich walk away, Lex's fears concerning her employment had finally been confirmed. She was a good writer; that much was certain. But at the end of the day, all she was was a goose who laid golden eggs. This article about Owen was the first return on their investment. But it wasn't enough.


	19. Chapter 19

Lex hung on to her phone for dear life. The secretary to whom she had spoken had put her on hold, and gone to get one of the professors who worked in her department to let him know he had a call on the line. A much older man than she, he was still a bit of a Luddite. He had scorned most forms of technology, save for the ones that helped him on his digs. He had a computer, with which he wrote his academic papers, but beyond its word processing abilities, the laptop was pretty much a paperweight. So, dear old (young) Darla was the one who would have to come in to rouse Doctor Grant from his reading to remind him that when the phone rings, you pick it up, and then pick up the transferred call from the other line. During these exchanges, Grant would grumble and throw around the occasional obscenity, and mutter things about "some peace and quiet", but still he humored her and took the calls. Even his door was plastered with cut out newspaper political cartoons about his hatred for technology, lest the stray undergraduate actually try to send him email correspondence.

None of this, of course, pleased the faculty or board at Harvard University, but when you wanted to keep a heavy hitter like Alan Grant on your faculty, your tolerance for bullshit grew exponentially. Most of his students knew that he was an old fashioned kind of guy, liked to correspond face to face, so office hours were typically full, with students waiting outside his office for their chance to meet with him.

Today, walking into work, Alan had seen the flashing light on his phone that indicated he had voicemails, but had decided they could wait until he finished the article he'd earmarked for his morning reading with a cup of coffee. After that, he would listen to his voicemails, and start his own writing. Today he had no office hours, and no classes.

Darla didn't much mind his aversion to technology, actually. She gladly would come into his office to coax him into taking his calls. She considered him still somewhat of a babe, even considering that he was now in his early sixties. She had seen pictures of him in his forties, and he hadn't changed much for the worse. He had a distinguished look about him. His hair, which had already been a mousy, vaguely graying brown in his forties was now half grey, mostly around his temples. He had lines around his eyes, but not much more elsewhere, which was miraculous given the amount of time he'd spent in the sun. He wore dark rimmed glasses when he read, but still he wore his same old plaid shirts and khakis, even when teaching. Darla was sure that if she looked hard enough at his boots, she may even have found traces of the dirt and dust from his last dig, which made her smile.

In his older age, Alan Grant had stopped going on as many digs as he once had. His experiences on Isla Nublar and Isla Sorna had been enough outdoors for his liking. He occasionally had gone on the occasional dig when exceptional finds had surfaced in places like China, when a whole clutch of dinosaur eggs had been found. He had gone on these digs in more of a consultant's capacity. But still, every now and then, Alan Grant liked to get his hands dirty. More often it was bringing his undergraduates and graduate students on digs for summer credit. That was fine with Alan.

Because Alan was such a Luddite, never watching television, rarely picking up a newspaper, save for academic journals, listening to the radio, and heaven forbid getting on social media, he had no idea what was happening in the media this morning. When Darla gently knocked on his door, instructing him to pick up his phone, he had no idea who or what was awaiting him on the other end of the line.

"Hello?" Alan said into the receiver, trying to hide his displeasure at his personal reading time being interrupted.

Lex's heart dropped into her stomach. "Doctor Grant, it's Lex," Lex waited for a barrage of curses. None came.

"Lex," Alan said, surprised. He took his glasses off, and set them on his desk. "How—how are you?" He hadn't heard from Lex in years. He kept up the polite rouse of conversation, hoping she would divulge the reason for her call. He knew it wasn't social.

"I'm doing well, Doctor Grant, for the most part, but…" Lex took a deep breath. "You haven't happened to have picked up a New York Times today? Or turned on your television? Or listened to the radio?"

"No," Alan waited.

"Doctor Grant, I'm sorry to have done this, but… I wrote an article in the Times, and I think you ought to read it. Before you do, I just wanted you to know that the article had to be written. I couldn't afford not to. I… I reference you, Doctor Grant. I'm sure you'll be sought for comment. Doctor Grant, I am so sorry."

Alan's heart broke at what he heard in Lex's voice. He'd always felt very protective of her. With good reason.

"Lex, what is this all about? I can handle the press, like I always do."

"Doctor Grant, you really ought to read it first. And then call me back."

Hearing the insistence in her voice, Alan relented. "Alright, Lex, I can do that. I have your number."

They disconnected, and Alan hurried into the office, looking for the stack of newspapers that Darla always kept for her professors. Sifting through them, he found no New York Times. Looking at Darla with concern, he asked where the Times was.

"Ah, I think Doctor Fitzgerald has it."

"A good writer, this girl…" A voice came from the direction of Doctor Fitzgerald's office. Fitzgerald was a younger professor at the college who was notorious for riding the coattails of others. Moreover, he was the worst of the worst in academic circles—a stealer of ideas. It was guys like him that made most academics protective of their ideas. His lack of morals had led to him being put on the bestselling list in his early thirties.

"Lucky for us she's not in paleontology. Her brother, on the other hand…" He folded the newspaper, and handed it directly to Grant, who took it wordlessly, and retreated to his office. Normally, Grant would have thrown a barb right back, but he didn't have it in him. After he finished the article, he called Lex back immediately.

"Is this true?" He asked, as soon as Lex picked up. "Is this Grady guy really studying their behavior? He wants to turn them into weapons?"

"No, no, no…" Lex had so much she wanted to say, and had to brace herself and start at the beginning. "Doctor Grant, Owen is an honest to god animal behavior specialist. All he cares about is his raptors, and that they're in the right hands. There are others who hope to exploit them. And I think it's far more nefarious than they're letting on."

"How do you mean, Lex? What do you know?"

"Masrani, I think he set the behavioral study up as a rouse. He didn't do it for the good of science. I think he just wants Masrani Global to be an independent contractor for the military. He's after the money. My boss…" Lex breathed a moment. "I think my boss has been paid off in some way. He all but made me write the article. I could have refused. You know I don't care about the money, or the job…"

"Then why, Lex? What compelled you?"

"Owen. Owen was told if he couldn't get me to write the article, he'd be fired. And without him there, who knows whose hands those four raptors will fall into. He needs to be with them."

Doctor Grant was silent a moment.

"Is that all, Lex?" Even now, in her thirties, even having not seen her in years, Doctor Grant knew when Lex had more to say.

She swallowed. "No. No, there's something else they're hiding. Doctor Grant, do you know of any dinosaurs called _Indominus Rex_?"

"No Lex. Not even in academic circles. Not even newly discovered species. It just… doesn't exist."

"I saw a monitor with something that looked like a gene sequence. And the name Indominus Rex. When I saw it, Wu and the little PR poodle who runs around that place seemed to want to sweep it under the rug and pretend I hadn't seen it."

"Wu," Grant said the name, knowing that if Henry Wu were involved, it indeed was something nefarious. "I would bet my hat on it that he's up to something in that lab. They're damned mad scientists, is what they are! Who are they, to mess with the natural order of things?"

"Doctor Grant!" Lex interrupted. She knew this tirade of Doctor Grant's very well. And she agreed with it wholly. "In any case… I just wanted you to know why. I thought I owed it to you to explain why I had to drag your name into things. I thought what you said to Owen would add a bit of gravitas. Make people see that raptors are killers."

Lex heard a sigh on the other end. "Is this man really that kid?"

"Yes."

"That was right before your grandfather brought us to Isla Nublar," Grant said absentmindedly.

Lex paused. "That's another thing. My editor has told me I have two months to write my side of the story… the park… or I'm fired. I know Tim's spoken about it before, but he was so young he doesn't remember all of it."

"Lex, why would you want to continue to work for a man like that? It sounds to me like you've upheld your end of the bargain. Grady is safely in charge of the raptors still."

"I know, you're right. But part of me wants to see this Indominus Rex thing through."

Alan's face grew serious. "Alexis, do not go back on that island. Not if your life depends on it."

"Doctor Grant," Lex said, one tear rolling down her cheek at the thought of being back there so soon. "If it's something as awful as it sounds, I want to be… Forgive my cliché, but I need to be the whistleblower on this thing. And it seems to me like they think I'm playing nice. So, if I can use it, I will."

And, of course, Owen was on the island. Never before had she felt such a desire to be in a place, while also wanting to never be there ever again. Which would win?

"Alexis, it's a wonder the park hasn't descended into chaos yet." Grant pinched the bridge of his nose. "Malcolm, loathe though I am to say it, is absolutely right with his theory. Once it does go to shit, it's going to be a massacre. I've been told that the park can have as many as _twenty-thousand people_ a day. Can you imagine, Lex?"

"Then I have every reason to see this through, and find out what they're up to. If I can save people, Doctor Grant, I will." Lex couldn't believe those words came out of her mouth.

"Lex," Grant said in surprise. "You've grown into an extraordinary young woman. A phenomenal writer. I admire your sentiment. I partially agree with you. But you'll have to forgive me if I want to keep you as far away from that place as possible."

Lex's heart swelled at Grant's show of fatherly concern. She did think, sometimes as a teenager, how she would have loved to have replaced her own absentee father with Doctor Grant.

"I know. As of right now, I'm not going back. But I just have this gut feeling they'll ask. And if they do, Doctor Grant, I will tell you."

Grant swallowed, and closed his eyes solemnly. He knew if Lex was getting dragged into something, he would be too. He certainly couldn't let the poor girl go out there on her own again. They said their goodbyes, and silently, Doctor Grant steeled himself for what lied ahead.


	20. Chapter 20

_There are several sounds that are filling her ears. The sound of her feet hitting the unlevel jungle floor, the sound of her breathing, quick and ragged from fatigue, and her heart beating so loud she could almost hear the rush in her ears. And then of course there were the screams. Not human screams, but the raptors._

 _They came from just behind her, pushing her to run faster, but not much. Not enough. Tripping on a thick tree root, Lex fell face first into the dirt. Luckily she had caught her fall by putting out her hands. Getting back to her feet, Lex could see a clearing in the trees just ahead. There was a building about twenty yards after the clearing in the trees. If she could reach it in time, she just might make it._

 _She reached the clearing, but as soon as she left the trees, her path was blocked by a tyrannosaurus. She leaned down so that her head was level with nearly Lex's height. With her head turned to the side, the T-rex's eye finally fixed on Lex. Lex froze. She knew that with a T-rex, she had to remain absolutely silent and stationary. She would lose her, and eventually might give up the search for her._

 _The screams came again from behind her. Moving her head slowly she looked behind her shoulder. Four raptors stood at the edge of the jungle clearing, snarling. If she ran, the T-rex would find her. If she didn't, the raptors would. The raptors leaned and began to run at her—_

* * *

Lex awoke with a cry, in a cold sweat. Her pajamas were soaked completely through, and her bangs were plastered to her forehead. She was out of breath. For a moment she wasn't sure she wasn't still back in that jungle with those animals. Ripping the sheets back, Lex got out of bed, and shucked the pajamas that were ruined for the night. She stepped into her bathroom, and turned on the light. She drew herself a shower, and got in.

There were no tears. She was shaking very vaguely, but it was nothing a Xanax wouldn't fix. More than anything, she knew that if he were here, she would be fine. If Owen were with her, she wouldn't be dreaming. She would be making love to him, or sleeping in his arms.

Once she was clean, she wrapped herself in a towel, and looked at her phone. 2:04 am. Was it too late to text him? Lex thought it may be. It was, after all, only 12:04 in Costa Rica. Without thinking, Lex shot him a text.

"Are you awake?" She waited five minutes before she had her answer.

"Yes, everything ok?"

"Just a dream. The media storm has really gotten to me, I think."

Just then, before Lex received any text reply, she saw Owen's name appear on her phone, his call coming through. Lex picked up after the first ring. "Hey," she said, as if they'd just seen each other a moment ago.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm just rattled is all. The article really kicked the dust up, didn't it?" That was an understatement. Somehow, several reporters and journalists had gotten her phone number. She had 15 missed calls in one hour just after the newspaper went out in the morning. She turned on the television and found that at least three stations were running the story about her article. The old familiar images popped up. None of them were shocking, but still she saw everything through the eyes of the same pre-teen girl.

"Yeah, I'll say. You holding up ok?"

"Fine, I just have that whole professional death sentence looming over my head if I don't write the piece."

"Why? Just don't do it, Lex. Quit. Go somewhere else."

"Owen, I… there's more that I didn't say. I should have when I was on Isla Nublar."

Silence. Lex continued. She told Owen about the Indominus Rex mystery. She waited for his reaction.

"I just had so much on my mind at the end of the weekend, I wasn't even sure what I saw."

"It's ok, it's just… It's going on right in my own neighborhood, and I don't even know it. I don't even know what to say."

"I know. And that's why I have to play nice. Don't you think that if they called me in for the raptors, they'd bring me in if they had something big up their sleeves? They are about numbers, aren't they? Bringing the bucks in… They want a journalist in their pocket, and I'd like for them to think that journalist is me."

"Lex, you're playing with fire here."

"Owen, if Masrani is fucking with my grandfather's legacy, don't you think I want to know what's going on?" Silence. "He promised him, Owen. He promised him, as his last favor to a dying man, that he would take care of the park. There's no taking it back. The park. It's there, and it's functioning. It seems to be in stasis. But that balance can tip at the drop of a hat. When it did the first time, I was only one of a handful of people there. There were minimal casualties. Can we say the same now?"

"No. Twenty-thousand a day."

Lex sighed. "In any case… How is everything there? Hoskins happy with how the article was?"

"I wouldn't say 'happy', but I still have a job, if that's what you're asking," Owen chuckled slightly.

"Good. I'd hate to have ruined that for you."

"But I don't know if I can keep the wolves at bay much longer. Hoskins has even talked about getting some generals from the military down to the park to view the raptors."

Lex's eyes widened. "Really? Did—did he say when?"

"No, I don't think it's soon. The behavioral study isn't officially over, and until it is, he can't do much with them. But we're running out of time."

"How much time is left?"

"Two months."

"Just… Keep me updated, ok?"

"Ok. Same goes for you. If you hear from Claire, Masrani or anyone from the park, especially about the Indominus Rex thing, tell me."

"You got it."

"Now," Owen sighed. "You are up way too late, and I'm not going to be the one responsible for you dragging your ass at work and getting fired before _your_ two months are up."

"Alright," Lex said reluctantly. A moment passed, and Lex thought about all she wanted to say. However, she ended up not having to say anything at all.

"I miss you, Lex," Owen said, freely and with ease.

"Yeah?" Lex smiled. "I miss you too, Owen."

"Ok—" Owen said. "Now sleep."

With that, Lex laughed, said her goodbye, and settled back into bed, wondering briefly how one single person she'd known only for a few weeks now could have such a positive effect on her. Though his presence in her life was indeed calming, there still was an ever-present tickling in the back of her mind. It was a feeling that had been with her since the day her editor asked her to travel back to Isla Nublar. She knew that the worst was yet to come.

 **A/N: Thank you guys so much for each of your reviews. I read every single one with appreciation. They definitely give me inspiration and motivate me to move forward with the story.**


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